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Government of Sri Lanka gears up for UNHRC, UNGA sessions

30 Aug 2021

  • Envoys to UNGA and UNHRC briefed, foreign reps in Colombo notified
BY Pamodi Waravita The Government of Sri Lanka (GoSL) has briefed its respective Ambassadors in Geneva, Switzerland and New York, USA regarding the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) session and the UN General Assembly (GA) session scheduled to be held in September. “We have already explained our stances to Permanent Representative of Sri Lanka to the UN President’s Counsel Mohan Peiris in New York and to Ambassador C.A. Chandraprema in Geneva. I have also met with foreign representatives in Colombo to pass on all the relevant information. The most important thing we have to consider is the current situation in the world, especially in the South Asian region,” Minister of Foreign Affairs Prof. G.L. Peiris said at a press conference held yesterday (30). He referenced the recent spate of killings, bombings, instability, and the flood of refugees from the South Asian region, stressing that Sri Lanka, on the other hand, is a very peaceful country. “What is the reason behind this targeting of Sri Lanka every year on the world stage? Is it fair, especially considering the many other important topics that need to be discussed? Is it really about human rights in Sri Lanka or something completely different?” questioned Prof. Peiris. Earlier this year, the UNHRC passed Resolution A/HRC/46/L.1, which recognises the importance of preserving evidence relating to alleged violations of human rights in Sri Lanka in order to advance accountability, and as such, a call has been made to implement an evidence preserving mechanism in the country. It was adopted on 23 March at the UNHRC with 22 votes in favour of it and 11 votes in opposition, while 14 member states abstained from voting. The UNHRC is due to hear the oral update by UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet on the human rights situation in Sri Lanka at its upcoming session, which will begin on 13 September. Successive governments in Sri Lanka have come under fire due to the alleged slow progress of reconciliation and accountability mechanisms, especially regarding alleged atrocities committed during the civil war years. Notably, since the incumbent Government came into power, former Sri Lanka Army Staff Sergeant Sunil Rathnayake was granted a presidential pardon despite being sentenced to death by the Colombo High Court in 2015 for his involvement in the Mirusuvil massacre in 2000. This year, the Attorney General’s Department informed the Colombo Permanent High Court Trial-at-Bar that the charges against former Navy Commander and Admiral of the Fleet Wasantha Karannagoda, for his alleged involvement in aiding and abetting in the enforced disappearance of 11 youths in Colombo in 2008 and 2009, would temporarily not be carried forward owing to a Court of Appeal order in connection with a case filed by Karannagoda.


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