GENEVA, Switzerland, March 23 (UPI) -- There's been an unprecedented level of threats directed at Sri Lankan activists following a resolution condemning the country, the United Nations warned.
The U.N. Human Rights Council voted Thursday to ask the Sri Lankan government to take "all necessary additional steps to fulfill its relevant legal obligations and commitment to initiate credible and independent actions to ensure justice, equity, accountability and reconciliation for all Sri Lankans."
Human rights groups accuse the Tamil Tiger rebel group and the Sri Lankan government of violations of the laws of war during the 25-year conflict. Thousands of people were killed in 2009 when government forces defeated Tamil rebels.
The U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights warned against reprisals in the aftermath of the Thursday resolution.
OHCHR spokesman Rupert Colville said there's been "an unprecedented and totally unacceptable level of threats, harassment and intimidation" issued against Sri Lankan activists who traveled to Geneva to take part in the council's debates.
Sri Lankan newspapers, he adds, have waged a "campaign of vilification" against activists.
"Some of these reports have contained barely veiled incitement and threats of retaliation," he said.
The Human Rights Council called on the Sri Lankan government to implement the resolutions in a report by the country's Lessons Learned and Reconciliation Commission released last December.
