A statement on the government’s official website quoted External Affairs Minister GL Peiris as saying US President Obama had intimidated many countries into supporting the proposal by saying that their friendship with the US and his future visits to those countries will be reviewed on their support to the proposal.
Prof. Peiris said the US has defense cooperation agreements with many countries and economic cooperation agreements with others, and in this context, these countries are obliged to support the United States even if they have good relationships with Sri Lanka. He cited South Korea as an example.
He cited Australia and New Zealand as non-HRC members who had rejected US ‘demands’ despite being ‘intimidated’ to co-sponsor the US-led resolution.
“The intensity of the pressure was unbelievable. … [Countries] were even asked, are you a friend or not?” PTI quoted Peiris as claiming.
The Minister further said that the US and Western countries are well aware that a regime change, which he described as a pastime hobby of these neo-colonialists, cannot be implemented in Sri Lanka through democratic means due to the huge support enjoyed by President Mahinda Rajapaksa and the government.
Therefore the only methods that they can use for such a change are those they deployed in countries like Iraq, Libya, Sudan etc, Prof. Peiris said.
Therefore, western states, are making use of groups “ever ready to betray the motherland” and NGOs dependent on western funding to create "various unwanted situations in Sri Lanka" with the objective of launching a regime change, Prof. Peiris said.
Prof. Peiris, an expert in constitutional law, was the Sri Lankan government's chief negotiator during the Norwegian-led peace process.
Find full coverage of the UNHRC vote and reactions to the resolution mandating the OHCHR to undertake an inquiry here.
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