ACF plaintiff encouraged by French Embassy's push for probe

[TamilNet, Sunday, 08 April 2012, 18:02 GMT]
Kalaichelvi Lavan, whose ex-husband was killed in the execution-style slaying of 17 aid workers from the French NGO, Ac in the northeastern town of Moothoor on August 4, 2006, and who is currently settled in Florida, said she was encouraged by the French Ambassador's meeting with Sri Lanka's Attorney General to discuss the status of the investigations into the crime, and that she hopes the French officials follow the investigations in every step to ensure that the investigations comply with international standards and the killers of her ex-husband are identified.

“Six years have passed since the killings, and the relatives of the victims are yet to receive justice. We hope the Ambassador will take the necessary steps to monitor the investigation closely and to ensure that the results are made public when the investigation is completed. In the meantime, we will continue to use the legal systems in the West to seek justice," Kalaichelvi said.

The aid workers, 16 Tamils and one Muslim, were engaged in a program to help survivors of the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami when they were summarily executed.

The renewed interest in the investigations developed when the UN Human Rights Council session in Geneva passed a resolution against Sri Lanka on rights violations, and amid pressure on accountability issues, former Attorney General Mohan Peiris assured the international community that Colombo would start investigations on the ACF case and the case involving extra-judicial execution of five students in Trincomalee.

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External Links:

SL:		ACF Massacres: Justice in Limbo
HRW:		Sri Lanka: Adopt International Inquiry for Aid Worker Killings
UTHR:		ACF Masscre 3rd Anniversary - A Travestied Investigation, Erosion of the Rule of Law and Indicators for the Future of Minorities in Lanka
DM:		French push to pursue probe
DM:		Fresh probe on aid workers & Trinco killings
ACF:		Muttur Massacre