US responsible for Lanka`s successive UNHRC defeat: Peiris

Colombo: Some countries had to support the UN resolutions against Sri Lanka over its human rights records due to factors which affected their bilateral relationship with the US, External affairs minister GL Peiris said on Saturday.

Answering an opposition query, Peiris said, "Some of the countries privately told us that they had to support the resolutions against Sri Lanka as there were factors which affected their bilateral relationship with the US," Peiris said. The opposition legislator Sajith Premadasa asked Peiris the reasons why Sri Lanka had lost two successive UNHRC resolutions in 2012 and 2013 reversing the trend of Sri Lanka`s success in 2009 when an attempted anti-Sri Lanka resolution was not moved. "In 2011 we were told by the Canadian foreign minister that they would move a resolution against us. But couldn`t do so as it lacked support," Peiris said. "But the situation changed when US stepped in". Peiris said the US lead was the sole factor in passing both resolutions.