Wikileaks show US probing UN's position on Sri Lanka

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 30 November 2010, 03:32 GMT]
While the text message content of leaked cabes from US embassies throughout the world to the US State Department is yet to become public, British Daily Guardian published secret cables sent to US diplomats two months after the Sri Lanka war was over, where US was probing the UN's position on appointing a special envoy for Sri Lanka. Wikilieaks is expected to reveal contents of 3325 cables from US Embassy in Colombo, ranking within the first 10 countries from where largest number of cables were sent. US also queried its diplomats' on views of the UN member states' view of strengthening measures to prevent egregious crimes including genocide.

"Views and intentions of UNSC (UN security council), UN human rights entities, and members regarding Sri Lankan government policies on human rights and humanitarian assistance; UN views about appointing a Special Envoy for Sri Lanka,’’ the cable to US diplomats in UN queried.

The cable proceeded to further ask the US diplomats of the "[p]lans and perceptions of member states toward establishment of new measures to prevent genocide, crimes against humanity, war crimes, and other systematic human rights abuses."

Hindustan Times covering the leak noted that "[i]t was at about the same time the enquiries were made that many western countries including the US had said that an independent international probe was needed to investigate the alleged human rights violations committed as the civil strife came to an end."

External Links:

HT:		US wanted to know UN position on Sri Lanka: Wikileaks
Guardian:		WikiLeaks embassy cables: download the key data and see how it breaks down