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Message: <blockquote data-quote="lkdood" data-source="post: 9539194" data-attributes="member: 92282"><img src="http://img193.imageshack.us/img193/9015/61690937.jpg" alt="" class="fr-fic fr-dii fr-draggable " style="" />Sri Lanka could be hauled before a war  crimes tribunal over the  killing of 'many thousands of civilians'  in the final months of its  separatist war with Tamil rebels, a top  US official says.In the  toughest warning since the end of fighting in May 2009,  US Assistant  Secretary of State for South and Central Asian  Affairs, Robert Blake,  said Sri Lanka risked a forced international  investigation.His  remarks came as the UN Human Rights Council was meeting in  Geneva,  where Sri Lanka has previously managed to avoid  condemnation thanks to  the backing of several nations, including  strong allies China and  Russia.Blake, a former ambassador to Sri Lanka, said it was   'preferable' for Sri Lanka to have its own investigation in line  with  internationally accepted human rights standards, rather than  face an  external inquiry.'It's important to say that if Sri Lanka is not  willing to meet  international standards regarding these matters, there  would be  pressure to appoint an international commission to look into  these  things,' Blake told AFP.Sri Lanka has refused to  investigate alleged war crimes, but  President Mahinda Rajapakse has  appointed a panel to probe why a  2002 ceasefire between the government  and the Tamil rebels broke  down.International rights groups have  rejected the  government-appointed panel as a whitewash, saying it  fails to  address war crimes by both sides during the 37-year conflict.Sri  Lanka's relations with the US were strained in 2009 when  Washington  voiced concern about human rights as the army killed the  top leadership  of the Tamil Tiger rebels, ending decades of  insurgency.After  urging from the Tamil diaspora, a number of US politicians  have pushed  President Barack Obama's administration to take a  harder line on Sri  Lanka.In a video interview on Monday from Washington, Blake said   reconciliation, accountability and human rights were among the key   elements the US wanted to see to normalise ties with the South  Asian  nation.'The UN has estimated that many thousands of civilians were  killed in the final few months of the war,' Blake said.The  UN said that at least 7000 civilians perished in the final  months of  fighting, while international rights groups have put the  toll at more  than 30,000.Blake cited the UN Security Council reporting Libya  to the  International Criminal Court last week as a signal of global   concern over human rights.He said he was not comparing Sri Lanka  with Libya, but said the  security council's unanimous decision against  Libya over the  weekend underscored the resolve of the international  community  regarding crimes against humanity.<a href="http://www.skynews.com.au/world/article.aspx?id=583553&vId=" target="_blank">AFP</a></blockquote>

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