Human Rights Watch slams promotion of Sri Lanka civil war general

COLOMBO: The promotion of a Sri Lankan army general credited for the military victory over the LTTE casts doubt on the new government's pledges to credibly investigatealleged war crimes, a prominent rights group today said.

New York-based Human Rights Watch (HRW) condemned the promotion of the general decorated for the defeat of the Tamil Tigers in 2009 that ended the over three-decade civil war.

Major General Jagath Dias was promoted as chief of staff,the second highest ranking position in the Sri Lankan Army,this week.

HRW says Dias' 57th division was implicated in serious human rights abuses and brings into question the new Sri Lankan government's commitment to credibly probe alleged war crimes during the country's brutal ethnic conflict.

" Sri Lanka's new government has promised genuine accountability for wartime abuses, but naming the general of an abusive unit as the army chief of staff is a slap in the face for victims," said Brad Adams, HRW Asia director.

"Members of the UN Human Rights Council expecting genuineaccountability in Sri Lanka need to closely scrutinise thegovernment's actions. The 57th Division took part in the lastbattles of the war, including the extremely bloody and abusivefighting on a small stretch of beach in Mullaithivu district.

"Human Rights Watch documented the indiscriminate shelling of civilians and hospitals by government forces in the regionwhere the 57th Division was deployed", an HRW release said.

"The government's appointment of General Dias is furtherproof that Sri Lanka needs an independent justice process with a strong international component that can undertake impartial investigations and prosecutions," Adams said.

"Six years since the end of the brutal conflict, the victims of the war still await justice," he said.