UN rights office gets mandate to document Sri Lanka war crimes

The resolution received 22 votes in favour and 11 against, including China and Pakistan, and 14 abstentions.

The UN Human Rights Council on Tuesday adopted a resolution giving UN rights chief Michelle Bachelet a mandate to collect and preserve information and evidence of war crimes committed during Sri Lanka’s long civil war, which ended in 2009. The erosion of judicial independence, marginalisation of minorities and impunity in Sri Lanka came up for criticism in the resolution, which received 22 votes in favour with 11 against, including China and Pakistan, and 14 abstentions, including India. The resolution, which was brought by the UK on behalf of a core group of countries, expressed particular concern that the island’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic has “exacerbated the prevailing marginalisation of and discrimination against the Muslim community”.