Govt. hopes for better relations with new UNHRC Chief
Wednesday, 3 September 2014 00:24
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The Government has expressed hope that the new United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Prince Zeid Ra’ad Zeid Al-Hussein of Jordan will be “more balanced” in his responsibilities than his predecessor Navanetham Pillay.
Welcoming the new Human Rights Chief, who took over the post at the UNHRC in Geneva on Monday from outgoing Pillay, Government Spokesman Keheliya Rambukwella said the Sri Lankan Government hoped the new HR Chief would take note of the concerns Sri Lanka had with the outgoing Commissioner and carry out his duties in an unbiased manner.
Rambukwella told the reporters in Kandy that Sri Lanka’s position with Pillay was not a secret and the Government hoped Al-Hussein’s tenure would be impartial and the Government’s relations with the new HR Chief would be positive.
“We were open about our complaints that Pillay was biased against Sri Lanka. She was never impartial. We hope that her successor will be more balanced in his approach,” Rambukwella told media. Sri Lanka had an edgy relationship with Pillay, who is a Tamil of South African origin, accusing her of being biased towards the Tamil diaspora and attempting to create a distorted impression of the country.
Sri Lanka has accused Pillay of being prejudiced, hostile and lacking objectivity on issues pertaining to Sri Lanka.
Rambukwella also said the External Affairs Ministry would decide if Al-Hussein should be invited to Sri Lanka, PTI reported.
