International rights panel quits Sri Lanka

by IRTAG Media | March 31, 2008 at 12:38 pm

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The InternationalIndependent Group of Eminent Persons (IIGEP), comprising of 11 Members, has been invited by the President of Sri Lanka in 2006 to observe the investigationsand inquiries of the government appointed commission on various killings inorder to ensure transparency and observance of international norms andstandards.

The 11 Eminent members are Justice P.N. Bhagwati(India) (Chairman), Judge Jean-Pierre Cot (France), Mr. Marzuki Darusman(Indonesia), Mr. Arthur E. “Gene” Dewey (USA), Prof. Cees Fasseur(Netherlands), Dr. Kamal Hossain (Bangladesh), Prof. Bruce Matthews (Canada),Mr. Andreas Mavrommatis (Cyprus), Prof. Sir Nigel Rodley (UK), Prof. IvanShearer (Australia) and Prof. Yozo Yokota (Japan).

The International Independent Group of Eminent Persons (IIGEP) was formed to observe an inquiry into 16 cases of serious rights violations, including the August 2006 massacre of 17 local employees of the French charity, ACF.

The panel said Monday in a statement that they were halting their efforts to determine whether the inquiries were being conducted "in accordance with internationally accepted norms and standards."