APD | Sri Lanka to urge UN rights body not to interfere

By APD writer Easwaran

COLOMBO, March 6 (APD) – Sri Lanka is to urge the UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC) not to interfere in Sri Lanka’s domestic affairs.

President Maithripala Sirisena on Wednesday said that he will be sending his representatives to the UNHRC which is currently meeting in Geneva, to made the appeal.

The President told local media heads at a meeting held at his office, he hopes to send three of his representatives to Geneva.

Accordingly, the President is to send former Ministers Dr. Sarath Amunugama and Mahinda Samarasinghe as well as the Governor of the Northern Province Dr. Suren Raghavan to Geneva.

Sri Lanka is on the agenda of the ongoing UNHRC session over its failure to fully address allegations linked to a 30 year war between Tamil Tiger rebels and the military which ended in May 2009.

A resolution is also being prepared to be submitted to the Council later this month.

The initial draft text of a Resolution on Sri Lanka being circulated among members of the the UN Human Rights Council and human rights groups, has called on Sr Lanka to agree on a time-bound action plan to address the human rights issue.

The draft requests the Office of the High Commissioner and relevant special procedure mandate holders, in consultation with and with the concurrence of the Government of Sri Lanka, to continue to strengthen their advice and technical assistance on the promotion and protection of human rights and truth, justice, reconciliation and accountability in Sri Lanka.

The text is to be further amended before it is submitted to the UN Human Rights Council Secretariat to be debated and voted on if required.

(ASIA PACIFIC DAILY)