Lanka killings could be 'war crimes': UN panel
Source: IBNLIVE United Nation: A UN panel has said killing of tens of thousands of people in the final stages of the Sri Lankan civil strife could amount to "war crimes", but Secretary General Ban Ki-moon insisted he would only launch an international investigation if Colombo agrees or member states call for it. A UN statement publicly releasing a report by a world body panel said that Secretary General has been advised that he needs Sri Lankan government consent or a decision by member states in an international forum to go ahead to order an international investigation into allegations of possible war crime. The statement did not specify the forum and whether it meant that an international probe had to be ratified by the UN Security Council, General Assembly or Human Rights Council. Ban's statement came as the panel called on the Secretary General to immediately set up "an independent international mechanism" to investigate "credible"