Govt. confident India will stand on “right side” at UNHRC

The Government yesterday expressed confidence that India would stand with Sri Lanka on the “right side” at the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) sessions and support it to defeat the resolution that is set to be moved next week. 

Cabinet spokesman Keheliya Rambukwella told the weekly Cabinet briefing that the Sri Lankan Government was confident of India’s support even though the country’s closest neighbour has remained noncommittal. 

“We are confident India will stand on the right side of this issue,” Rambukwella said. “We completely reject the UNHRC report on Sri Lanka and see it as an effort to interfere in Sri Lanka’s internal affairs.

 There is no effort to hold one of the worst terrorist organisations in the world to account, but the Sri Lankan Government is being unfairly treated. We are confident that Sri Lanka’s allies will standby us and help defeat this resolution.” 

Last month the Foreign Ministry sent an official letter appealing for India’s support at the UNHRC sessions. This week India, while participating at an interactive dialog on the Office of High Commissioner for Human Rights (OCHR), had backed the implementation of the 13th Amendment in full.

The issue of India’s support at UNHRC has also gotten caught up in Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s efforts to ensure a win for the Baratha Janatha Party (BJP) at the Tamil Nadu elections, which will be held on 6 April.