US senators call for Sri Lanka war crimes probe

WASHINGTON (AP) — Two U.S. senators are calling for an international investigation into allegations of war crimes in Sri Lanka's civil war and for its government to uphold media freedoms.

Republican Sen. Richard Burr and Democratic Sen. Bob Casey introduced the congressional resolution Monday ahead of a March session of the U.N. Human Rights Council.

The proposal has little practical impact, but adds to pressure on the Obama administration to seek action.

The U.S. has said it will sponsor a resolution at the rights council, but hasn't said yet whether it will call for an international probe.

Momentum is building for such a step because of dissatisfaction over Sri Lanka's own efforts to account for ethnic Tamil civilians killed in the dying months of the war in 2009.