(UTV | COLOMBO) – The Government yesterday confirmed that it was on track to withdraw its commitments made in the Resolutions on Sri Lanka adopted by the UN Human Rights Council during the previous government of Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe.
“Sri Lanka will withdraw the Geneva proposals submitted by the former government in 2001 and 2016,” Sri Lanka Freedom Party General Secretary Minister Dayasiri Jayasekara announced yesterday at a news briefing. Addressing media at the Sri Lanka Freedom Party headquarters Jayasekara said the former government forwarded these proposals to the Geneva Human Right Council without obtaining the Cabinet approval or Parliament approval. He said the then government did not present those proposals to Parliament for approval.
“These narrow sighted activities of the UNP government to present proposals to the Human Rights Council paved the way to levelling baseless allegations on human rights violations against security forces personnel,” he said.
The ‘commitments’ made in the UN Resolutions include probes into alleged human rights violations by both the Sri Lankan security forces as well as the now defunct Liberation Tigers of Thamil Eelam. Provision in the UNHRC Resolutions for international involvement in the criminal probes as well as in judicial prosecutions has come under fire within the country from many quarters.
Foreign Relations Ministry officials did not comment on details of the Government’ proposed move.
They said that they were waiting for instructions from the Cabinet.
Speaking on the new alliance formed jointly by SLFP and Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna, Jayasekara said it is the broadest and the strongest alliance ever built in the Sri Lankan political arena.“The new alliance is supported and driven by two former Presidents and one existing President,” he said.
He said that the new alliance was formed to obtain two thirds majority to subject the country to a radical development drive including achieving economic prosperity. Besides, after obtaining the two third majority, it is important to amend the 1th amendment, which created a mess in the governance system of the country.