Radio New Zealand - Te Reo Irirangi o Aotearoa

Amnesty wants CHOGM meeting shifted from Sri Lanka

Updated at 8:45 am on 30 October 2011

Amnesty International is pushing for the next Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in 2013 to be moved from Sri Lanka on human rights grounds.

The New Zealand branch of Amnesty International says Sri Lanka's war on Tamil seccessionists caused thousands of civilian deaths.

It says the Government there is refusing to acknowledge what it says are war crimes, giving it no right to host the next Commonwealth meeting.

Sri Lanka endured 20 years of civil war and four failed peace deals before government forces triumphed in 2009.

Amnesty says that victory caused the death of 10,000 civilians trapped in rebel areas.

The Sri Lankan Government has blamed the deaths on rebels breaking peace agreements.

The 2011 meeting of Commonwealth leaders concludes in Perth on Sunday afternoon.

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