Sri Lanka claims victory ahead of crucial UN rights vote
Sri Lanka has described the adoption of its periodic review of human rights at Geneva`s UNHRC sessions without a division as a victory and an acknowledgment of its rights progress.
|Last Updated: Mar 16, 2013, 01:39 PM IST|Source: Bureau
Colombo: Sri Lanka has described the adoption of its periodic review of human rights at Geneva`s UNHRC sessions without a division as a victory and an acknowledgment of its rights progress.
"We can be happy that our report was unanimously accepted at the Universal Periodic Review (UPR). This was despite many powerful countries speaking against it," Mahinda Samarasinghe, a minister and President Mahinda Rajapaksa`s Human Rights envoy, said.
Samarasinghe said that anyone taking an impartial view would note Sri Lanka`s human rights progress made since the end to the conflict with the LTTE four years ago.
The review came ahead of next week`s crucial resolution to be moved by the US. The US adopted a similar resolution last year with India`s support which bound Sri Lanka to make rapid progress on reconciliation with the Tamils.
In a statement, the US Geneva mission regretted that Sri Lanka had rejected all UPR recommendations of member states that called upon Colombo to implement recommendations of its own reconciliation body, the Lessons Learnt and Reconciliation Commission (LLRC).
In a critical tone, the US said Sri Lanka was trying to reframe human rights commitments in line with their National Plan of Action, which "does not address the broad spectrum of recommendations put forward by the LLRC report".
Samarasinghe yesterday said that the government had already made budgetary provisions needed to implement the national action plan of the Lessons Learnt and Reconciliation Commission (LLRC) report.
PTI
By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device to enhance site navigation, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts.
Cookies Setting
By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device and the processing of information obtained via those cookies (including about your preferences, device and online activity) by us and our commercial partners to enhance site navigation, personalise ads, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts. More information can be found in our Cookies and Privacy Policy. You can amend your cookie settings to reject non-essential cookies by clicking Cookie Settings below.
Manage Consent Preferences
Strictly Necessary Cookies
These cookies are necessary for the website to function and cannot be switched off in our systems. They are usually only set in response to actions made by you which amount to a request for services, such as setting your privacy preferences, logging in or filling in forms. You can set your browser to block or alert you about these cookies, but some parts of the site will not then work or you may not be able to login.
Functional Cookies
These cookies enable the website to provide enhanced functionality and personalisation. They may be set by us or by third party providers whose services we have added to our pages. If you do not allow these cookies then some or all of these services may not function properly.
Targeting Cookies
These cookies may be set through our site by our advertising partners. They may be used by those companies to build a profile of your interests and show you relevant adverts on other sites. They are also used to limit the number of times you see an advert as well as help measure the effectiveness of an advertising campaign. They do not store directly personal information, but are based on uniquely identifying your browser and internet device. If you do not allow these cookies, you will experience less targeted advertising.
Performance Cookies
These cookies allow us to count visits and traffic sources so we can measure and improve the performance of our site. They help us to know which pages are the most and least popular and see how visitors move around the site. All information these cookies collect is aggregated and therefore anonymous. If you do not allow these cookies we may not know when you have visited our site, and may not be able to monitor its performance.