WASHINGTON, Dec. 30 - The President of Sri Lanka, Mahinda Rajapaksa, has extended by four months an independent investigation into allegations made by the U.S. State Department, in a paper entitled 'Report to Congress on Incidents During the Recent Conflict in Sri Lanka.' The extension will allow the committee to thoroughly investigate and respond to all allegations in the report to Congress, as well as advise the government on the action to be taken on the recent query by Mr. Philip Alston, the UN Special Rapporteur regarding remarks by the country's former army chief Sarath Fonseka.

The Committee was established in November 2009 by President Rajapaksa to investigate allegations in the report, including the use by LTTE (Liberation Tamil Tigers Eelam) terrorist organization of children in armed conflict, harm brought to civilians during the war, the killing of captives seeking to surrender, disappearances and a lack of humanitarian conditions.

According to the report, incidents occurred in the final days of a 26-year-long war between Government forces and the LTTE, a group officially viewed by the United States as a terrorist organization since 1997 and been declared by the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee as "one of the world's deadliest terrorist groups."

This independent committee is part of a broader set of proactive measures and statements by the Government of Sri Lanka aimed at solidifying Sri Lanka's pursuit of the highest standard of international human rights.

"The country of Sri Lanka has moved past the terror of war, and begun a period of reconciliation and national rebirth for all of its people," said President Rajapaksa. "However it is important to look into all of these allegations and this extension of the deadline to report back will provide the independent review panel with sufficient time to investigate all allegations." According to President Rajapaksa's decree, the investigation is an "independent and comprehensive study into such allegations is necessary in the national interest."

As outlined in President's decree, the committee will report on the following matters:

  --  The descriptions, background of persons who have been directly
      referred to in the said Report and the nature of the allegation.
  --  The circumstances that may have led to or resulted in references being
      made in the said Report to those persons referred to in paragraph 2.
  --  The nature, propriety and efficacy of the contents of the said Report.
  --  The appropriate measures that should be taken in accordance with the
      laws of Sri Lanka, with regard to the contents and findings in the
      said Report inclusive of specific recommendations with regard to the
      specific allegations.
  --  Any other recommendations considered by the aforesaid Committee as
      being relevant consequent to its study.

President Rajapaksa had originally requested the initial report with findings and recommendations on December 31, 2009. It will now report in April 2010.

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