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Amnesty presses UN for Sri Lanka war crimes probe

Friday, June 05, 2009 COLOMBO: Amnesty International on Friday urged the UN Security Council to probe war crimes allegations against Sri Lanka, ahead of a briefing to the world body by Secretary General Ban Ki-moon.The London-based rights watchdog said the Security Council should also demand full humanitarian access to state-run camps where up to 300,000 people, who fled Sri Lanka's war zone, are being held. Ban was to brief the council later Friday on his recent visit to the island. Amnesty called for an international, independent inquiry into the allegations of war crimes that have been levelled against both the Sri Lankan government and the Tamil Tiger rebels. "Alternatively, the UN secretary general should establish such an investigation under his own mandate," Amnesty said.

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