By Gibson Bateman, International Policy Digest, June 28, 2012 - Were the Rajapaksa administration to dismiss the HRC resolution, it is difficult to predict what the backlash would be. At this point, it is hard to imagine that there would be much of an appetite for another, tougher resolution against Sri Lanka. And it is hard to imagine that the US would lead the way again; getting the watered-down resolution passed at the 19th session was difficult enough. It is even harder to imagine that the US would push for greater action at the HRC (on any issue) if Mitt Romney were to be elected president in November.

by Gibson Bateman, Foreign Policy Journal, March 19, 2012 - As an absolute minimum, Sri Lanka must be on the formal agenda for the 20th session of the Human Rights Council this June. If that does not happen, the US will emerge as the “biggest” loser. Right now, the Council’s 19th session looks like another example of the US government ineffectively using “human rights” as a foreign policy tool. Given all of the diplomatic resources it dumped into this initiative, the US looks rather weak right now. In order for that to change, a lot needs to happen between now and March 21st.

By Colum Lynch, Foreign Policy, 24 February 012 - During the past year, the U.N. has launched independent investigations into possible war crimes in Ivory Coast, Libya and Syria. But in Sri Lanka, where as many as 40,000 civilians were killed in the final phases of the country's civil war, the U.N. has been unable to muster support for an independent investigation into atrocities.