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US moves UN against Lanka

The United States today submitted the draft resolution against Sri Lanka to the United Nations Human Rights Council at its 19th session here.

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The draft resolution submitted to the UN body notes the report of Sri Lanka's domestic Lessons Learnt and Reconciliation Commission (LLRC) and its findings and recommendations. The resolution notes with concern that the report does not adequately address serious allegations of violations of international humanitarian law. The draft resolution calls on the Sri Lankan government to implement the constructive recommendations in the LLRC report and take all necessary additional steps to fulfill its 'relevant obligations and commitment to initiate credible and independent actions to ensure justice, equity, accountability and reconciliation for all Sri Lankans.' It requests the government to present a comprehensive action plan as 'expeditiously as possible' detailing the steps the government had taken and will take to implement the LLRC recommendations and also to address alleged violations of international law. The draft resolution encourages the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) and relevant special procedures to provide, and the Sri Lankan government to accept, advice and technical assistance of implementing those steps. It also requests the OHCHR to present a report to the UNHRC on the provision of such assistance at its 22nd session. Sri Lanka's special human right envoy Mahinda Samarasinghe who is currently in Japan is expected to return to Geneva next week to address the resolution. The LLRC report recommends the need to credibly investigate into widespread allegations of extrajudicial killings and enforced disappearances, demilitarise the North, implement impartial land dispute resolution mechanisms, reevaluate detention policies, strengthen formerly independent civil institutions, reach a political settlement involving devolution of power to the provinces, promote and protect the right of freedom of expression for all and enact rule of law reforms. On Tuesday, dismayed by reports about the Union government's decision not to support the US-backed resolution against Sri Lanka in the UNHRC, Tamilnadu Chief Minister Jayalalithaa on Tuesday once again wrote to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh reiterating her demand that India go with the resolution and condemn the island nation. In a letter to Manmohan, she referred to certain media reports about India's stand on the resolution on accountability issues of the Sri Lankan civil war involving human rights violations to be moved for voting at the ongoing session of the UNHRC in Geneva.