Resolution against Sri Lanka passed at UNHRC

COLOMBO (News1st): The resolution tabled against Sri Lanka at the 46th UN human rights council sessions was passed with 22 votes in favour after it was taken up today. The Core Group on Sri Lanka led by the United Kingdom comprising Germany, Canada, Montenegro, Northern Macedonia, and Malawi had tabled the resolution at around 3:30 pm Sri Lankan time. This was the sixth resolution tabled before the UN Human Rights Council since 2012 on promoting reconciliation, accountability and human rights in Sri Lanka. The resolution was taken up for a vote after China and Pakistan had made a request to that effect during today's sessions. Accordingly, 22 member states of the UN Human Rights Council voted in favour of the resolution, 11 voted against, while 14 abstained from voting. Pakistan and China were among the countries that voted against the resolution while India and Japan were among the member states that abstained from voting. The resolution expresses serious concerns over several matters including surveillance and intimidation of civil society and restrictions on media freedom in the country. The resolution noted that such trends threaten to reverse the limited gains made in recent years, and risk the recurrence of policies and practices that gave rise to the grave violations of the past. Meanwhile, Sri Lanka rejected the resolution that was brought against the country today. "Sri Lanka considers the draft resolution to be unwarranted, unjustified and in violation of the relevant articles of the UN charter," C.A Chandraprema, Sri Lanka's Permanent Representative to the UN said. He pointed out that the resolution has been tabled without the consent of Sri Lanka. "No country has a greater interest in bringing about reconciliation among its people than the country concerned," Chandraprema noted.