Sri Lanka: Consultation Task Force on Reconciliation Recommended Foreign Judges!

( January 5, 2017, Colombo, Sri Lanka Guardian) A government-appointed Consultation Task Force on reconciliation Mechanism (CTFRM) has recommended the participation of foreign judges in war crimes courts to be established in accordance with 30/1 Geneva Resolution adopted in Oct 2015.

The UNP-SLFP coalition co-sponsored US-led resolution in 47-member United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC). Task Force sources confirmed the recommendation that each court to be set up consist of local judges and one foreign judge.

Responding to a query by the local media, sources said that their recommendation was in line with the Geneva Resolution that proposed foreign judges including those from Commonwealth in the war crimes court.

Geneva Resolution was based on UN Panel of Experts (PoE) report that accused the Sri Lankan military of massacring over 40,000 Tamil civilians during the last phase of operations on the Vanni east front.

The CTFRM headed by Manouri Muttetuwegama comprised Dr. Paikiasothy Saravanamuttu, Gamini Viyangoda, Visaka Dharmadasa, Shantha Abhimanasingham, PC, Prof Sitralega Maunaguru, K.W. Janaranjana, Prof. Daya Somasundaram, Dr Farzana Haniffa, Prof. Gameela Samarasinghe and Mirak Raheem.

The government appointed CTFRM in January last year following the Geneva Resolution. Former President and head of Office for National Unity and Reconciliation (ONUR) Chandrika Bandaranaike received the final report on Tuesday.

The Secretariat for Coordinating Reconciliation Mechanisms (SCRM) has invited the media to a briefing at the Information Department today at 2.00 pm.

The Muttetuwegama Task Force held consultations in the Northern and Eastern Provinces and also in areas outside the war zone over in 2016.

President Maithripala Sirisena and top government ministers have repeatedly declared that foreign judges wouldn’t be acceptable under any circumstances.

Download/ Read the final report in three language below;

FINAL REPORT OF THE CONSULTATION TASK FORCE ON RECONCILIATION MECHANISMS

Executive Summary and Recommendations

FINAL REPORT OF THE CONSULTATION TASK FORCE ON RECONCILIATION MECHANISMS.pdf by Thavam Ratna on Scribd