The UNP abstained from voting on a parliamentary motion rejecting the UN investigation into wartime atrocities due to the government’s lack of interest in protecting Sri Lanka’s sovereignty, reports ColomboTelegraph.

Explaining the UNP’s decision to abstain from voting , the opposition party's chief MP, John Amaratunga, said:

“The UNP was compelled to abstain from participating in the vote today due to the government’s non-acceptance of amendments suggested by the UNP that would have helped preserve Sri Lanka’s sovereignty.”

The MP further blamed the Sri Lankan President for committing the ‘gravest betrayal of Sri Lanka’ in inviting international intervention into Sri Lanka by making a joint statement with the UN Secretary General after the end of the conflict in 2009.

“Despite our repeated advises to the President to reject the clause that welcomed an investigation into the war, the President proceeded with the joint statement – a fact that has been pointed out by UPFA MP Rajiva Wijesinghe himself,” he said.

The UNP is strictly against any international intervention in the country’s domestic processes, but such threats can only be avoided if democracy, human rights, rule of law and judicial independence is upheld in the country, Amaratunga said.

See related article:
Sri Lanka parliament rejects UN probe. TNA opposes, UNP abstains (18 June 2014)