Colombo: Sri Lanka will face a critical resolution at the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva on Monday. The resolution highlights that the government’s initiatives had repeatedly failed to ensure justice for the victims and promote reconciliation after the end of the armed conflict with the LTTE in 2009.
Sri Lanka took action against the LTTE in 2009 in which a large number of innocent Tamil civilians were also killed.
Russia, China, Pakistan and many Muslim countries have pledged to support Sri Lanka in this resolution. But the Sri Lankan government also wants India’s support. Three consecutive resolutions have been passed against Sri Lanka at the United Nations body. These resolutions were passed in 2012 and 2014 during the tenure of Mahinda Rajapaksa as President. Mahinda is currently the Prime Minister of Sri Lanka while his younger brother Gotabaya Rajapaksa is on the President’s chair.
Foreign Minister Dinesh Gunawardena said that the whole resolution was politically motivated particularly by the UK. “Sri Lanka has made progress with preserving human rights with our own program of work hence the international community must assist us,” he said.
“Over the years, various allegations have been levelled against our country, alleging human rights abuses. We have been cautious about this. After our government was elected, a Presidential Commission has been appointed to investigate human rights allegations,” he said.
He also said that funds have been allocated from the budget to activate the Office on Missing Persons.
Contrary to the Foreign Minister’s claim, Michelle Bachelet, High Commissioner for Human Rights, in her report on Sri Lanka last month indicated that nearly 12 years after the end of the armed conflict, “domestic initiatives had repeatedly failed to ensure justice for victims and promote reconciliation. Despite commitments made in 2015, the current Government, like its predecessor, had failed to pursue genuine accountability processes.”
There are expectations among the officials in Colombo that India would opt to abstain from voting.
Tamil parties requested support for the proposal
The political parties having major support base in Tamil Nadu- DMK, MDMK and PMK have requested Prime Minister Narendra Modi to support the resolution to be presented in respect of Sri Lankan Tamils in the session of UN Human Rights Council. This proposal is against the Government of Sri Lanka.