Countrywide protests over proposed UN resolution

By Chamitha Kuruppu

Thousands of people around the country led by ruling party politicians yesterday protested over a proposed United Nations Human Rights Council resolution over alleged war crimes.

The massive protest rally under the theme ‘Protect Sri Lanka’ backed by the Government coincided with the commencing of UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC) in Geneva.

The Government last week announced it would conduct an islandwide protest today in 150 cities with the main protest to be held in Fort at 3 p.m. Over the past couple of days the Government urged people to join the protests against the anti-Sri Lankan resolution being brought to UNHRC.

However, an attempt made by a separate group of protestors to march toward the US Embassy was interrupted by Police. Protestors shouted anti-US slogans and held placards supporting President Mahinda Rajapaksa and Defence Secretary Gotabhaya.

Minister Dilan Perera, who participated in the protest, said: “Today we have started the emission to strengthen the UN and to strengthen the other nations. The UN is not a property of the US. The US cannot control the UN the way it wants; this fight we began today in Sri Lanka is not only for the independence and sovereignty of the Sri Lanka alone – this is the beginning of liberalising the UN and strengthening the other member nations.”

According to Government sources, another protest is scheduled to be held opposite the Khan Clock Tower in Colombo Fort tomorrow, opposite the Ceylon Electricity Board on Thursday (1) and at the Technical Junction in Maradana on Friday (2) from 12 noon to 1 p.m. 

Meanwhile, the United National Party (UNP) yesterday extended its support to the Government to defeat any possible resolution being adopted on Sri Lanka by the UNHRC.

UNP Spokesperson Gayantha Karunatilleke addressing a media conference in Colombo said that his party was against any form of international intervention.

The Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) on Sunday blamed the Government for the situation the country has to deal with today. The JVP claimed that it was the Government which led the international community to bring in a resolution against Sri Lanka at the UN Human Rights Council.

The JVP also claimed that the Government’s failure to come up with a proper mechanism to investigate the killings and disappearances and internal displacements during the war had worsened the situation.