Sri Lanka Campaign stressed on Wednesday that the delay in publishing the findings of the UN inquiry into mass atrocities against the Tamil people in Sri Lanka, must not become a denial of justice.

On Monday the UN Human Rights Council decided to deferred the publishing of the report by the OHCHR Investigation on Sri Lanka by six months to September, citing promises made by the new government of "broad cooperation" with the OISL and thus the hope of further information.

"The news will doubtless come as a disappointment to the survivors of Sri Lanka’s civil war, who have waited patiently for justice for over six years, with little other cause for hope," Sri Lanka Campaign said.

"The international community, and the United Nations, have a duty to ensure that justice delayed does not become justice denied, and that this deferral does not cause the international community to move on and forget. This report will be released - and when it is, victims’ demands for justice, acknowledgement and compensation must be heard."

Commenting on a letter sent by Sri Lanka's new foreign minister Mangala Samaraweera to the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights requesting a six month deferral, Sri Lankan Campaign said it was "deeply troubled to see the topics upon which this letter is silent".

"In particular, it is noticeable that while the government promises all forms of cooperation with UN special procedures and a visit by the High Commissioner - all conventional processes which one would expect as a bare minimum from any nation - it makes no mention of corporation with the UN war crimes investigation, simply restating its rejection of an international mechanism."

"Indeed the Sri Lankan government has not even clarified whether Sri Lankan individuals are free to cooperate with the investigation or other UN mechanisms. The previous government stated that they would consider such behaviour treasonous and the current government has said nothing to countermand this statement. Over the last few weeks, many human rights activists across the north of Sri Lanka have continued to report high levels of intimidation, harassment, and surveillance designed to prevent them from going about their lawful task of human rights documentation. It appears that in this respect there has been no shift in policy from the previous Government."

"International justice will have a role in Sri Lanka for some time to come. The OISL was mandated by the Human Rights Council and nothing can, or should, prevent it from completing its work to the best of its ability and presenting the most robust findings the evidence can support. There can be no trade-off between domestic reforms and international investigation, both are needed."

See full statement here.