US willing to support Sri Lanka's own war crimes probe;promises to sponsor resolution at next month's hearing

The United States has said today that it wants to sponsor a resolution at next month's U.N. human rights session that is supportive of Sri Lanka's government, which wants to conduct its own investigation into alleged war crimes, according to a report by AP The report quoted the announcement by the visiting Assistant Secretary of State Nisha Biswal of a joint resolution with the Sri Lankan government. "The U.S has announced it will be offering a resolution at the September session of the Human Rights Council. It will be a resolution of collaboration with the government of Sri Lanka and with other key stake holders," she was quoted as saying in the report. Biswal said, however, the U.S. now supports a local investigation that the new Sri Lanka government of President Maithripala Sirisena has promised. Biswal did not say what the new resolution would contain, but said it will follow a report by the U.N. Human Rights Council scheduled to be released next month.