Human Rights Watch, Amnesty International-USA, the International Crisis Group, and the Open Society Foundations host a screening and discussion the harrowing documentary Sri Lanka’s Killing Fields.
First aired on British television in June, the film captures, through live footage and extensive interviews with witnesses, the atrocities committed against civilians during the Sri Lankan Armed Forces' final campaign to defeat the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam in early 2009. The film was recently screened to wide acclaim at the United Nations in New York and Geneva, and has fueled renewed calls for an international response to these crimes.
U.S. Congressman Jim McGovern, co-chair of the Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission, will give introductory remarks before the screening. After the film, panelists will discuss ongoing efforts to further accountability in Sri Lanka, including the findings of the recent UN Panel of Experts report on war crimes in Sri Lanka, and the U.S. response to these developments.
Refreshments will be served. This event is free and open to the public.