Explainer: What the UNHRC resolution means for Sri Lanka

Rights groups say human rights resolution vital in seeking justice for war crime victims and a ‘huge blow’ for Colombo.

United Nations human rights chief Michelle Bachelet has received a mandate to collect evidence of crimes during Sri Lanka’s long civil war, which ended in 2009 with the defeat of the separatist Tamil Tigers and a surge of civilian deaths. Rights groups say the decision is a critical step in gaining justice for victims of war crimes and could have significant implications for the current Sri Lankan government. Here we answer your commonly asked questions: