The New York Times has called on the United States and international community to persevere in holding Sri Lanka to account for human rights violations committed during the final stages of the island’s armed conflict, in an editorial published on Monday. 

The editorial, published as the government prepares lavish celebrations for Sri Lanka’s 66th Independence Day, applauds the recent visit by US Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asian affairs Nisha Biswal, as the United States prepares to bring about third resolution on Sri Lanka at the United Nations Human Rights Council.

It goes onto to lambast Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa noting he “brooks no criticism” and has “little interest in a thorough investigation”, but calls for enduring action adding that “international pressure has forced Mr. Rajapaksa to make some decisions that he would not have made on his own”.

Extracts have been reproduced below. See the full editorial here.

“It would be easy for the world and American officials to give up their demands for accountability given that nearly five years have passed since the end of the war. But that would be tragic and would signal to public officials that they might never have to answer for mass murder.”

“Nobody should be naïve about the motives or intentions of Mr. Rajapaksa. He has little interest in a thorough investigation, and his government’s systematic persecution of journalists and other critics amply demonstrates that he brooks no criticism. But it’s also true that international pressure has forced Mr. Rajapaksa to make some decisions that he would not have made on his own. For example, in September, the country held regional elections in the Tamil-dominated Northern Province that it had been resisting for years. The new provincial council recently voted to call for an independent war crimes investigation. It is important that the world stand with those Sri Lankans who have demanded a full accounting of what happened during the war.”