Patto: Sri Lanka must be held accountable for war crimes

Since Malaysia and Sri Lanka have not ratified the Rome Statute, the UN Security Council was the only way the latter country can be held accountable for numerous war crimes.

September 5, 2016

KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia must make its membership in the UN Security Council (UNSC) worthwhile by lobbying for a Resolution to refer Sri Lanka to the International Criminal Court (ICC) for war crimes, crimes of aggression, genocide and crimes against humanity, said Batu Kawan MP Kasthuri Patto in a statement.

She reminded the war crimes arise from the bloody massacre of over 200,000 Tamils — Hindu, Christian and Muslim — by the Rajapaksa regime.

How else can Malaysia hold a government accountable on war crimes, genocide and ethnic cleansing? she asked.

Both Malaysia and Sri Lanka have not ratified the Rome Statute on the ICC, she pointed out. “The UNSC was the only way that Sri Lanka can be made accountable for numerous war crimes.”

Crimes, under the Rome Statute, were all carried out by Mahinda Rajapaksa when he was President of Sri Lanka and by previous Presidents as well, charged the MP.

The UNSC’s powers under the UN Charter are the legal basis whereby the ICC can investigate certain crimes, she argued. “This needs no consent requirement by the states involved.”

Undisputed war criminal Rajapaksa’s hands are still fresh with the blood of innocent Sri Lankans, she lamented. “Yet he’s walking free without the slightest shred of conscience or ounce of guilt.”

Malaysia’s membership in the UNSC will end in less than four months, she noted. “This is an opportunity for the Najib administration to redeem itself after being grossly insensitive in welcoming a Sri Lankan war criminal to the country.”

Malaysia returned to the UNSC, after a 15-year absence, as a non-permanent member representing the Asia Pacific region for the period 2014 to 2016.

Malaysia’s priorities include strengthening UN’s peacekeeping operations, peace building, and mediation, promoting the Global Movement of Moderates (GMM) and reforming the UNSC.

China, France, the Russian Federation, the UK and the US are permanent members of the UNSC.

Besides Malaysia, the other nine non-permanent member nations are Angola, Egypt, Japan, New Zealand, Senegal, Spain, Ukraine, Uruguay and Venezuela.