March 19, 2013, 9:13 pm
Final draft of the US Resolution
In spite of the US watering down its second resolution targeting Sri Lanka in a bid to reach an agreement on the proposal, the government yesterday reiterated its decision to call for a vote at the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) sessions tomorrow (21).
In letters addressed to Foreign Ministers of HRC member countries, External Affairs Minister G. L. Peiris has said, "the Government of Sri Lanka believes that drawing disproportionate attention to Sri Lanka’s situation and introducing resolution that seeks to discredit, single out the country and humiliate it are unhelpful and counterproductive to Sri Lanka’s current reconciliation process.
The beneficiaries of such action would be none other than the divisive forces that seek to destabilize the hard won peace in the country. Moreover, the precedent created by intrusive, biased and politicized actions such as the US sponsored resolution on Sri Lanka would pose a danger for all nations."
"Just as the Government of Sri Lanka did not recognize the last HRC resolution, it rejects the new resolution. Sri Lanka intends to request a vote when the draft resolution is taken up at the Human Rights Council on 21st March 2013. Sri Lanka seeks the understanding and the support of HRC member states at the vote on this resolution."
Source: The Island (20th March 2013)
