Sri Lanka accuses UN human rights chief of bias

Colombo: Sri Lanka Tuesday accused UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Navi Pillay of bias after she made public a report calling for an international investigation in the country of the post-civil war scenario. Pillay will officially release the report to the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva next month, during which the US might look to gather support for a resolution against Sri Lanka, reported Xinhua.

In her report made public Monday, Pillay noted that despite significant progress achieved in the physical aspects of resettlement and recovery, and implementation of some of the recommendations made by a government commission following the end of a 30-year war with the Tamil Tiger rebels, Sri Lanka has yet to satisfy the call made by the UN Human Rights Council for a credible and independent investigation into the allegations of human rights violations that persist or to take the necessary steps to fulfil its legal obligations to ensure justice and redress. The Sri Lankan government, however, said in a statement that the conclusions and recommendations given in Pillay`s report is tantamount to an unwarranted interference in the internal affairs of a sovereign state. The government rejected the call by Pillay to establish an international inquiry mechanism saying it gives scant or no regard to the domestic processes ongoing in Sri Lanka and is politicised in premise. The government said the trajectory that has emerged on the recommendations of the high commissioner reflected the preconceived, politicised and prejudicial agenda which she has relentlessly pursued on to Sri Lanka.