Colombo slams US-sponsored resolution submitted at the UNHRC

 

Sri Lanka today slammed the US-sponsored resolution at the UNHRC which it says seeks to "discredit" and "single out" the country over alleged human rights violations, terming it as "biased and politicised".

It also said the language of the resolution was borrowed from a "flawed" report by the UN High Commissioner of Human Rights Navaneetham Pillai.

Lankan External Affairs Minister G L Peiris said in his communique to member states setting out his government's stand on the resolution, said, "Drawing disproportionate attention to Sri Lanka's situation and introducing resolution that seeks to discredit, single out and humiliate the country are unhelpful and counterproductive to Sri Lanka's current reconciliation process".

"Just as the Government of Sri Lanka did not recognise the last HRC resolution, it rejects the new resolution. Sri Lanka intends to request a vote when the draft resolution is taken up at the Human Rights Council on 21 March 2013."

"Sri Lanka seeks the understanding and the support of HRC member states at the vote on this resolution."

Peiris said that the beneficiaries of the resolution would be none other than the divisive forces that seek to destabilise the hard won peace in Sri Lanka, he said.

The Sri Lankan external affairs ministers warned that "the precedent created by intrusive, biased and politicised actions such as the US sponsored resolution on Sri Lanka would pose a danger for all nations".

Meanwhile, Lankan human rights envoy Mahinda Samarasinghe has slammed the US moved resolution to be voted at the UNHRC sessions in Geneva tomorrow as carrying borrowed language from a "flawed" report by UN High Commissioner of Human Rights.

Samarasinghe was speaking at the session in Geneva today ahead of tomorrow's formal presentation of the resolution.