The Liberal Party of Canada welcomed the OISL report into mass atrocities in Sri Lanka and said it would work towards investigating and prosecuting perpetrators of war crimes, crimes against humanity, and genocide who may be in Canada.

In a statement released on Friday, the party said it “remains committed to working with the international community to ensure that Canada does its part in seeking justice in Sri Lanka”.

It also said:

“This includes exercising the universal jurisdiction to investigate and prosecute those perpetrators of war crimes, crimes against humanity, and genocide who may be in Canada.  We will also implement a travel ban against those who might have been part of the chain of command within the Sri Lankan armed forces.”

“The victims of war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide in Sri Lanka have waited far too long for answers,” said Marc Garneau Liberal Candidate for Notre-Dame-de-Grâce—Westmount.  “This report, for the first time, gives some hope on the road to accountability and peace in Sri Lanka.  We commend the witnesses for coming forward with their stories – and braving all odds, and at times taking extraordinary risks to be heard so that justice can be achieved.”

“Justin Trudeau and the Liberal Party have long maintained that accountability is a precursor to lasting peace in Sri Lanka and an essential starting point for justice to be delivered to the victims and survivors,”  added Mr Garneau. “We are encouraged by the UN report and are confident that it can be the basis of an internationally mandated accountability mechanism that is independent of the Sri Lankan state.”

See the full statement here.