Commenting on the Internal Review Panel on the UN's conduct in Sri Lanka in 2009, Human Rights Watch's UN director, Philippe Bolopion, said on Wednesday:
“The UN internal review identifies the tragic mistakes that led the UN to fail in its most basic obligations to civilians in Sri Lanka,”
“The UN’s attempt to appease the Sri Lankan government while it was committing mass atrocities against its own population proved to be a deadly mistake,”
“The UN system can’t rewrite history and respond as it should have, but it at least owes Sri Lankan victims meaningful efforts to achieve justice.”
“The UN’s dereliction of duty in Sri Lanka is a stark reminder of what happens when human rights concerns are marginalized or labeled as too political,”
“The UN’s failure to learn from Rwanda shows that a mere report won’t solve these deep-seated problems unless there is the necessary political will and commitment to implement the report’s recommendations.”
HRW added that the internal review should have investigated the culpability of specific UN officials, and drew attention to the inquiry's annexes, which it said detailed 'troubling efforts' by then chef de cabinet, Vijay Nambiar, the under-secretary-general for humanitarian affairs, Sir John Holmes; and the UN resident coordinator in Colombo, Neil Buhne to mask casualty figures collected by the UN's own staff.
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