UNHRC MEMBERS FACE INTENSE US PRESSURE

Prof. G.L.Peiris

Sri Lanka on Wednesday claimed that most of the 47 member countries of the UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC) are under pressure to back a malicious US-sponsored resolution that has called for an international probe into alleged rights abuses during the country’s war with the LTTE, according to international media reports. “Countries have told us they do not want to pursue Sri Lanka’s case. But they want to be seen with the US. Some of them have defence pacts with the US and wider trade links,” External Affairs Minister Prof. G L Peiris was quoted as saying.

He said the pro-LTTE diaspora possesses large sums of money to run the anti-Sri Lanka campaign to win over the Western countries. “They collected large sums of money during the war,” he said.

They still own businesses in many countries,” Peiris said.

Sri Lanka accused the pro-LTTE diaspora of creating pressure on the UN system to act against it for political reasons.

The US-moved resolution, the third in as many years, is to be put to vote at the UN rights body later this month.

Sri Lanka has condemned the move as a gross interference on its sovereignty.

The previous two resolutions by the US were adopted with India’s support.

Minister Peiris said that Sri Lanka could easily have avoided action at the UN Human Rights Council had it given in to international pressures.

“We have a national pride. So we cannot give in,” he said.

(Daily News)