In advance of a vote at the UN Human Rights Council on a draft resolution concerning Sri Lanka, Sri Lanka’s Foreign Minister Dinesh Gunawardena decried the allegations levied against the country as being politically biased and called upon India for support to “defeat the false accusations”.
In his statement, Gunawardena claimed that it was “not the responsibility of an internationally recognized Human Rights Council to accuse or take a vote on the internal affairs of our country”.
He further defended the government claiming that the administration had launched a Presidential Commission to investigate human rights allegations however, these domestic investigations have been shown to repeatedly fail. Former and current UN officials and international lawyers have criticised the commission as a "meta-investigation" and stated it “would be laughable were it not for the seriousness of what is at stake”.
The Sri Lankan administration has further established a Presidential Commission of ‘Political Victimisation’ which has called for the pardoning of those alleged to have committed horrific human rights abuses and to pursue prosecutions against those who spoke out.
Sri Lanka’s call for India support follows escalating tensions between the two countries as Sri Lanka unilaterally withdrew from the East Container Terminal (ECT), worth an estimated $700 - $800 million dollars. Sri Lanka was seen the further enrage India as they granted China permission to establish three renewable energy projects in outlying islands off the Jaffna peninsula, which has been seen as a security threat to India.
The resolution is set to be voted on the 22 March 2021.
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