CHOGM overshadowed by war crimes allegations

The CHOGM in Sri Lanka has been overshadowed by allegations of war crimes in the final days of the island's decades-long civil war in 2009.

Sri Lankan troops inside the war zone in 2009 - AAP.jpg
(Transcript from World News Australia Radio)

The Commonwealth summit underway in Sri Lanka has been overshadowed by allegations of war crimes in the final days of Sri Lanka's decades-long civil war in 2009.

The CHOGM meeting is being boycotted by several leaders in protest at the failure of the Sri Lankan government to allow a full investigation into the allegations against both its own troops, and the Tamil Tiger separatists who they were fighting.

Gordon Weiss was the UN spokesman in Sri Lanka during the final stages of the war and is now a research professor at Griffith's University's Asia Institute.

He's told Santilla Chingaipe, Sri Lanka may have hoped CHOGM would showcase its post-war revival, but it could turn into a public relations disaster.

(Click on audio tab above to listen to this item)

Abbott says CHOGM can help human rights:

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By Santilla Chingaipe
Source: World News Australia

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