Sri Lanka regrets pressure from UNHRC resolutions

The Sri Lankan government Thursday said it is not being treated fairly and regretted excessive pressure being exerted by repeated resolutions in the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva.

A US-sponsored resolution on Sri Lanka is expected to be submitted to the council in March seeking support for an international investigation into alleged war crimes committed during the final stages of the war between the government forces and Tamil Tiger rebels, Xinhua reported.

Sri Lanka's External Affairs Minister G.L. Peiris said that such resolutions were counterproductive because of their polarising effect, according to the external affairs ministry.

He said that difficult accomplishments within a brief time span were not sufficiently acknowledged and standards not invoked in respect of comparable post-conflict situations.

Peiris pointed out that Sri Lanka's relations with the US were multi-faceted and that there is good cooperation in a variety of fields including defence, higher education and public investment in several sectors.

The minister said that Sri Lanka valued its relationship with the US and has consistently engaged in a candid dialogue on current issues.

He also said that he attached importance to his dialogue with American community leaders because people-to-people contact is an integral part of the bilateral relationship.