When will they get justice?

Since it was set up by President Mahinda Rajapaksa in May 2010, Sri Lanka's state inquiry into the causes of the armed conflict has received submissions from thousands of people. Alleged victims and perpetrators of many grave crimes under international law, including potential war crimes committed by both sides, have sat before Sri Lanka's Lessons Learnt and Reconciliation Commission or submitted written statements to it. But commissioners have failed to pursue the allegations made. Amnesty International's analysis of transcripts from LLRC sessions exposes a catalogue of missed opportunities and outright negligence. The LLRC commissioners have not acted impartially towards witnesses, have made no apparent effort to follow up allegations of human rights violations and have done nothing to protect witnesses from threats or retaliation. The LLRC is just the latest in a long line of failed domestic mechanisms putatively aimed at securing justice in Sri Lanka. The international community must not be deceived. Only an international, independent investigation can deliver truth, justice and reparations to the thousands of victims of violations committed during Sri Lanka's bloody war. Only then will the voices of these victims really be heard.