After a Capitol Complex screening of the Channel 4 documentary that purports to show war crimes in Sri Lanka, US lawmakers and rights advocates stepped up calls for an international probe into the allegations.
“Sri Lanka’s Killing Fields” was shown to the public inside the US Capitol complex yesterday (July 15), AFP reports.
Representative James McGovern, co-chair of a US Congress human rights commission has said that the film was “a gruesome example of humans at their worst.”
“These scenes provide much more than simply shock value, however: They also are powerful evidence of the need for an independent investigation to hold those responsible accountable for the crimes,” he has said.
“If the Sri Lankan government is unable or unwilling to act, then the international community must respond in its place,” he has added.
McGovern said that anyone found guilty of war crimes should be punished, regardless of whether they belonged to government forces or the defeated LTTE.
US lawmakers, after lobbying from Tamil Americans, have led calls for an UN-led inquiry into war crimes allegations.
The State Department has warned Sri Lanka that it must ensure accountability or face growing global pressure, although it has stopped short of fully backing an international probe.
SLM
