Wigneswaran reiterates call for international accountability mechanism

<p>The international community should set up an accountability mechanism for mass atrocities committed in Sri Lanka “without delay”, said C V WIigneswaran the former Chief Minister of the Northern Provincial Council, just days after Sri Lanka’s president reiterated his opposition to any accountability for war crimes.</p> <p>"I am not saying that there should be two laws – one for the Sinhalese and another for the Tamils,” Wigneswaran <a href="http://island.lk/index.php?page_cat=article-details&amp;page=article-de…">told reporters on Sunday</a>. “But it can be seen that the Tamils are the community which suffered most from the war. Therefore, it is natural for them to harbour doubts about the rulings given by the Sri Lankan courts with regard to the war crimes.”</p> <p>"The government forces should not be afraid of our insistence on international input into the war crimes’ inquiry if they had not committed any war crimes,” he added. “Instead, they should welcome the opportunity to clear their names and support us in this move.”</p> <p>"The international community without delay should set up an international strategic mechanism to ensure justice for the affected people."</p> <p>Earlier this week, Sri Lanka’s president Maithripala Sirisena vowed not to imprison soldiers accused of war crimes, stating that he was firmly against international efforts for justice.</p>