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| Sri Lanka’s Ambassador Ravinatha Aryasinha speaking Wednesday at the UN Human Rights Council, as Sajin de Vass Gunawardena, Monitoring MP for Sri Lanka's Ministry of External Affairs, (seated behind) looks on. |
Sri Lanka's representative at the UN Human Rights Council expressed the state's "categorical rejection" of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights' conclusions and recommendations made in her Office's report, and warned that it had "consistently rejected previous resolutions" and "would do so again".
In a fiery response to Navi Pillay's presentation of her Office's report before the Council today, the Sri Lankan representative asserted that the OHCHR report's findings reflected a "preconceived, politicised and prejudicial agenda which as been relentlessly pursued with regard to Sri Lanka.”
See here for full statement. Excerpts from statement reproduced below.
“The trajectory that has emerged with regard to the recommendation of the High Commissioner to the HRC for the establishment of an international inquiry mechanism reflects the preconceived, politicised and prejudicial agenda which as been relentlessly pursued with regard to Sri Lanka.”
“The GoSL therefore reiterates its categorical rejection of the Conclusions and recommendations contained in the High Commissioner’s Report.”
“There are also attempts to portray Sri Lanka as a country in which human rights violations are ongoing. The so called ongoing issues, if any, are only sporadic and far from being perpetuating in nature.“
“The GoSL has consistently and with good reason rejected previous resolutions on Sri Lanka proposed by the US, which have emanated from a politicised process and mandate, and without consent of the country concerned, and would do so again”
Sri Lanka's statement was followed by powerful calls from a wide cohort of states endorsing the UN High Commissioner's call for an independent international investigation, as well as similar calls from an extensive array of international NGOs, and Tamil speakers.
See related articles from events at the UN Human Rights Council today:
Member states call for international investigation in Sri Lanka at UNHRC (26 Mar 2014)
UNHRC members draw on own experiences to endorse call for international inquiry, as vital for peace in Sri Lanka (26 Mar 2014)
NGOs call upon UNHRC to back international inquiry (26 Mar 2014)
International inquiry is 'essential' - High Commissioner (26 Mar 2014)
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