Sri Lanka will not be pressured to assign foreign judges; statement by the UN Human Rights Commissioner

The United Nations Human Rights Chief said that the United Nations will not force Sri Lanka to accept a role for international judges in investigating alleged crimes during the war but any process must be impartial and independent.

Commissioner Zeid Ra'ad Al Hussein, commended some efforts by the current government but said much still needed to be done.

Zeid said the UN Human Rights body believed that victims would not have confidence in a national mechanism as those tried before have left them disappointed.

Meanwhile, Pablo de Greiff, the UN Special Rapporteur on Truth and Justice has said that Sri Lanka should not be hasty in trying to meet its commitments to the UN Human Rights Council with regard to issues of transitional justice.