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Sri Lankan Panel Backs Hybrid Courts for War Crimes

by Associated Press

   COLOMBO, SRI LANKA --

   A committee appointed by Sri Lanka's government has recommended that
   both local and international judges be appointed to the court that will
   investigate allegations of war crimes from the country's civil war.

   The U.N. high commissioner for human rights called for a hybrid court
   in 2015. Sri Lanka agreed to the participation of foreign judges, then
   backtracked. It now insists that local courts investigate the
   allegations.

   The civil war ended in 2009 when Sri Lanka's military crushed the Tamil
   Tiger rebels who had fought for an independent state for ethnic
   minority Tamils in the country's north and east. Both sides were
   accused of war crimes, particularly in the final months of fighting.

   The recommendation for a hybrid court was made in a report released
   this week by the Consultation Task Force on Reconciliation Mechanisms,
   which sought public views on the proposed mechanism for transitional
   justice and reconciliation.

   The court should have "a majority of national judges as well as a
   sufficient number of international judges" to ensure at least one
   foreign judge per bench in case of absences, the task force's report
   said.

   It also said foreigners should be part of the office of the Special
   Counsel of prosecutors and investigators and contribute technical
   assistance.

   Phasing out foreigners

   "International participation should be phased out once trust and
   confidence in domestic mechanism are established and when the required
   expertise and capacity has been built up, nationally," the executive
   summary of the report said.

   Task force member Gamini Viyangoda said the members were not aware of
   the government's next step on the recommendations. "But, we believe
   this report will pressure the government to take some positive steps,
   because this report contains the views of the people of this country,"
   he told reporters Thursday.

   Sri Lanka has faced criticism for failing to properly investigate
   alleged human rights abuses amounting to war crimes during the final
   phase of the civil war.

   According to U.N. estimates, up to 100,000 people were killed in the
   26-year war, but many more are feared dead, including up to 40,000
   civilians in the final months of the fighting.