Reacting to India's vote in favour of the resolution that has been adopted at the UNHRC, the JHU (part of the ruling UPFA), called on the government to form an Asian brotherhood of states, without India.

In a statement, the JHU said:

"We urge the government to build a foreign policy for Asian solidarity and brotherhood without India"

The National Freedom Front (NFF) - a party within the ruling UPFA coalition, called on the government to reconsider the economic engagement with India and the US.

The NFF media spokesperson, Mohamed Muzamil, said the government must reconsider importing products from India and the US.

In a letter to the Sri Lankan president Mahinda Rajapaksa, the Sri Lankan Muslim Council (SLMC) called for the anti-Muslim attacks by Buddhist groups to end.

A letter signed by the President of the Muslim Council N.M. Ameen said:

“Their campaign has also affected all businesses – not just Muslims’ – and resulted in a threat to the maintenance of law and order affecting all communities. These groups have been using the traditional media, social media, public meetings, posters, leaflets, and the circulation of rumours and misinformation insulting Muslims to inculcate a sense of fear and hatred of Muslims among Sinhalese. They are using abusive language when referring to our religious practices and publicly calling for a boycott of businesses run by Muslims,”

Sri Lanka's opposition party, the UNP, which has been largely quiet over recent events at the UN Human Rights Council, blamed the government for resolution 22/L1. 

Speaking at a media briefing on Friday along with the JHU, and Sri Lanka's Minister for Youth Affairs, the UNP parliamentarian Lakshman Kiriella backed the call for demonstrations against the resolution, but urged that they be redirected to opposite Temple Trees, and not embassies. 

In a column - ‘Acting’ President Priyankara on cloud nine - the SundayTimes.lk has asked if the GTF and the TNA were responsible for Botswana's vote of abstention.

In an email interview with the Sunday Observer, Sri Lanka's Special Envoy to Geneva on Human Rights, Mahinda Samarasinghe asserted that the UNHRC and the resolution seemed "to be pursuing other agendas [not human rights] bordering on the political," and went on to forewarn that "we will expose time and again and resist with all our efforts".

Reiterating the efforts made by Sri Lanka to present itself in a positive light, Samarasinghe said, "remnants of the defeated LTTE remain and wield influence in many countries".

He added,

"They are highly motivated, well-funded and are working against any success in reconciliation in Sri Lanka. They do exercise some influence in countries in which they have taken up domicile. They influence the domestic agenda in these countries."

Extracts of the interview are reproduced below. See here for full transcript on the Sri Lankan military's website.

MA Sumanthiran of the TNA, spoke to the Sunday Leader on the resolution recently adopted by the UNHRC:

Q: What impact do you think the adoption of the latest US backed resolution on Sri Lanka at the UNHRC would have on the country?
A: That will be determined by how the Government reacts to this. If it acts responsibly at least at this stage and engages constructively with the international community, we can do ourselves a favour and deal with all outstanding issues that hinder genuine reconciliation with the help and assistance of the international community.

Human Rights Watch blamed Australia and India for the final watering down of the UNHRC resolution, thus easing the pressure on the Sri Lankan government, by putting domestic political concerns ahead of human rights, The Weekend Australian reported.