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Cameron urges other HRC members to back resolution

Updated 17:40 GMT

The Prime Minister’s Office has confirmed that Britain is supporting an independent international inquiry in Sri Lanka at the UN Human Rights Council, reported The Guardian.

A spokesperson for David Cameron said that Sri Lanka had failed to meet the deadline set by the PM to conduct a thorough and credible inquiry and that the UK would support the UN High Commissioner’s call for an independent, international investigation.

"Ahead of the vote, we are working hard to secure support from other countries. The PM has personally written to a number of leaders whose countries are on the human rights council this session calling on them to support this resolution which would help to deliver progress on reconciliation and human rights in Sri Lanka."

Prime Minister Cameron's spokesperson also said,

“When the Prime Minister was in Sri Lanka, he said that this month was the deadline for the Government of Sri Lanka to take concrete action to establish a credible, thorough inquiry into what happened during their civil war, including its final stages. They have failed to do so."

"Therefore the UK, along with four other countries including the US, has tabled a resolution on Sri Lanka at the UN Human Rights Council supporting the call by the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights for an international, independent investigation into violations of human rights and related crimes by both sides during the war. We want this to take place in this year’s UN HRC session. There will be a vote on our resolution at the end of this month."

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