BeyondHeadlines News Desk
Geneva/New Delhi: Asian Centre for Human Rights (ACHR), a NGO having Special Consultative Status with the UN and participating in the ongoing 22nd Session of the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva accused India of trying to undermine the US sponsored country resolution on Sri Lanka. The United States and a substantial members of the UN are sponsoring a resolution on “Promoting reconciliation and accountability in Sri Lanka” at the ongoing 22nd Session of the UN Human Rights Council.
“The Government of India has been urging the United States and other sponsors of the resolution to water-down the resolution on the promise of obtaining Sri Lanka’s consent for unanimous adoption of the resolution. This attempt of the Government of India to run with the hare and hunt with the hounds is undermining the resolution’s provisions especially those relating to accountability for the crimes committed during the war and the time bound implementation of the devolution package for national reconciliation in Sri Lanka.” – stated Mr. Suhas Chakma, Director of Asian Centre for Human Rights who is participating at the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva.
“It is deeply regrettable that India is not even following the issue of devolution as provided in the 13th Amendment of the Sri Lankan constitution mediated by India, while India’s own bilateral efforts to convince Sri Lanka yielded absolutely no result.” – further stated Mr. Chakma.
On the other hand, NGOs led by Asian Centre for Human Rights has demanded appropriate action from the President of Human Rights Council H.E. Remigiusz Achilles against Mr Mahinda Samarasinghe, Sri Lanka’s Minister
of Plantation Industries and Special Envoy of H.E. the President on Human Rights for the personal attacks on the High Commissioner Navi Pillay during his address to the Council on 27 February 2013.
Minister Samarasinghe in his statement (http://www.lankamission.org/) while criticsing the report of the High Commissioner (http://www.ohchr.org/
into question, by virtue of her shifting the goalposts and seeking to impose new conditionalities. This runs counter to the detachment, objectivity and impartiality expected from the holder of such an exalted office.”
“It is the responsibility of the President and Bureau of the Human Rights Council to defend the High Commissioner against such personal attacks and intimidation. Conduct such as the one of Minister Samarasinghe must not be
countenanced by the UN.” – further stated Mr. Chakma.
