{"id":43186,"date":"2017-08-30T06:54:38","date_gmt":"2017-08-30T06:54:38","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.biphoo.com\/bipnews\/?p=43186"},"modified":"2017-08-30T06:54:38","modified_gmt":"2017-08-30T06:54:38","slug":"sri-lanka-jagath-jayasuriya-wanted-war-crimes","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.biphoo.com\/bipnews\/world-news\/sri-lanka-jagath-jayasuriya-wanted-war-crimes.html","title":{"rendered":"Sri Lanka Jagath Jayasuriya wanted for war crimes"},"content":{"rendered":"

Sri Lanka Jagath Jayasuriya wanted for war crimes<\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

Sri Lanka Jagath Jayasuriya wanted for war crimes:- Human rights groups have filed lawsuits in Brazil and Colombia against Sri Lanka’s ambassador in Latin America, accusing him of war crimes.<\/span><\/p>\n

Former general Jagath Jayasuriya was a commander in the final stages of the civil war with separatist Tamil rebels in 2009.<\/span><\/p>\n

Tens of thousands of Tamils – and the rebel leadership – were killed at the end of the conflict, in which both sides were accused of atrocities.<\/span><\/p>\n

Human rights groups have long called for prosecutions but there have been none so far.<\/span><\/p>\n

What is Jagath Jayasuriya accused of?<\/span><\/p>\n

Sri Lanka’s ambassador to Brazil, Colombia, Peru, Chile, Argentina and Suriname was in charge of troops in the north-east of the island who are alleged to have attacked hospitals and abducted, killed and tortured thousands of civilians.<\/span><\/p>\n

As a diplomat he enjoys immunity but the International Truth and Justice Project, which brought the case, wants him expelled and his conduct investigated.<\/span><\/p>\n

“In the pivotal period between 2007-2009 he was really in charge of what was happening in the Vanni area,” lawyer Yasmin Sooka of the International Truth and Justice Project told the BBC’s Newshour programme.<\/span><\/p>\n

“The UN inquiry found that the army certainly didn’t maintain the distinction between civilians and combatants, and they also violated the law on the question of proportionality.<\/span><\/p>\n

In the last months of the war hundreds of thousands of Tamils ended up trapped on a tiny strip of land.<\/span><\/p>\n

“What was really awful was the perfidious conduct in putting people into no-fire zones and then shelling and bombarding them, which is why you have such a huge loss of life,” Ms Sooka said.<\/span><\/p>\n

Lawsuits are also due to be filed in Peru, Chile and Argentina, according to the group.<\/span><\/p>\n

Where is the ambassador now?<\/span><\/p>\n

Sri Lanka’s government says the former general is on his way home following the completion of his assignment as ambassador. He is scheduled to arrive in Colombo on Wednesday.<\/span><\/p>\n

“His departure from Brazil was pre-planned and he has not fled as some media reports allege,” Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Mahishini Colonne told BBC Sinhala.<\/span><\/p>\n

Ms Sooka said: “He was tipped off, and he skipped from Brazil yesterday – we’ve tracked him and, based on reliable information we have, he took a direct flight to Dubai.”<\/span><\/p>\n

Can he be prosecuted?<\/span><\/p>\n

International lawsuits across jurisdictions are complicated.<\/span><\/p>\n

Spain’s Carlos Castresana Fernandez, who has co-ordinated efforts against Jagath Jayasuriya, is one of the lawyers who worked on cases against Chilean General Augusto Pinochet and Argentine General Jorge Rafael Videla.<\/span><\/p>\n

Source:-\u00a0http:\/\/www.bbc.com\/news\/world-asia-41089396<\/span><\/p>\n

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