Responsibility of States to Protect Human Rights of Civilians in Internal War Situations: A Legal Analysis From a Human Security Perspective

Abstract

Main objective of this research paper is to examine and evaluate the applicable legal standards governing the responsibility of states to protect their own people affected by the ravages of internal wars from a human security perspective. It will further discuss the responsibility of state to investigate the violations of human rights committed in such war situations and the need to prosecute the alleged offenders to provide redress to the victims of such violations. The violations of human rights will be broadly defined in this research to include both human rights and violations of humanitarian law in the context of non-international armed conflict situations. This paper will draw special attention to the international community’s queries pertains to the alleged violations of human rights and humanitarian law principles against the protection of civilians during the civil war in Sri Lanka.