GENEVA, Switzerland, May 23 (UPI) -- The U.N. human rights chief is urging immediate steps be taken in Sri Lanka to protect civilians against human rights abuses.
U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights Louise Arbour Tuesday called on the warring parties to take immediate steps to defuse violence through dialogue and to protect civilians from harm.
Recent cease-fire violations are "serious breaches of international human rights and humanitarian law," she said in a statement released at her headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland.
Arbour said the government of Sri Lanka and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam have obligations beyond their cease-fire agreement to respect basic human rights and humanitarian norms, regardless of the status of the cease-fire and whether the country is at peace or war.
Paramount among these is respect for the right to life, said the high commissioner, noting the concerns raised by an independent U.N expert on extrajudicial, summary and arbitrary killings who recently reported that both civilians and members of the security forces taking no active part in hostilities were being targeted.
"I recommend that the government of Sri Lanka seek international police and forensic support for investigations into killings to ensure justice and accountability," she said.
Arbour urged the parties to take immediate steps to de-escalate the violence, resume dialogue and strengthen the monitoring and protection of human rights.
