Sri Lanka rights under scrutiny as Commonwealth leaders meet

2013-11-15 34

Protests in Sri Lanka. Tamil protesters mobbed British Prime Minister David Cameron's motorcade in Jaffna, holding up pictures of dead or missing relatives from Sri Lanka's 26-year-old war.

Cameron was visiting the Tamil-dominated northern city to push his case for greater human rights, and said he would demand that Sri Lanka investigate allegations of war crimes and human rights abuses.

(SOUNDBITE) (English) BRITISH PRIME MINISTER DAVID CAMERON, SAYING:

"I think it's important to shine a spotlight on what's happened in this country and to speak up against abuses that have taken place and make sure that these people in the north of the country do have a proper voice."

A U.N. panel has said around 40,000 mainly Tamil civilians died in the final months of the civil war.

It wants an inquiry into allegations of war crimes, but the Sri Lankan government is resisting.

Coinciding with a Commonwealth Summit in Colombo, Tamil protesters in London demand that

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