Last updated: 12:55 CET
Sri Lanka has rejected a report by the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) “in its entirety”, stating it was “fundamentally flawed" today, in its opening address to the United Nations Human Rights Council in Geneva.
Sri Lanka’s External Affairs Minister GL Peiris told the council that the recommendations in the report were “arbitrary, intrusive and of a political nature”, stating that the High Commissioner Navi Pillay had reached conclusions in a “selective and arbitrary manner”.
The report was slammed as being “based on questionable and baseless material”, after Sri Lanka stated "the references made in the council, welcoming the High Commissioner’s report, even at the highest level of the UN are regrettable", referring to UN Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon.
Sri Lanka also added that it “reiterates its rejection of resolution 22/1”, which was passed last year by the council, and called on Sri Lanka to carry out a credible and independent investigation into human rights abuses.
Sri Lanka went on to hit out at the “politicised action” of member states in the council saying, action was taken “at the behest of a few countries... without basis and without consent”.
Speaking after the release of a draft resolution on Monday, which called on the OHCHR to investigate human rights abuses in Sri Lanka, it rejected any initiatives to be taken by the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, with Peiris labelling it “a travesty of justice”.
See the full address here, a copy of which was passed round to members of the council.
During Sri Lanka's address, a private meeting organised by the United States, was being held, with member states and co-sponsors discussing a resolution on 'promoting reconciliation, accountability and human rights in Sri Lanka'.