28 Feb 2014

Call for NZ to support human rights inquiry

11:43 am on 28 February 2014

Amnesty International is urging the New Zealand Government to push for an international investigation into human rights abuses in Sri Lanka.

Three months ago, Sri Lanka hosted the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in Colombo and the issue of human rights and abductions in that country dominated discussions.

Amnesty International says Sri Lanka's human rights record still hasn't improved and a crackdown on dissenters continues.

Executive director Grant Bayldon says in March the United Nations Human Rights Council will canvas the need for an international investigation into war crimes and human rights abuses in Sri Lanka.

Mr Bayldon says New Zealand needs to push for that investigation to happen.