On Thursday March 27,2014, the UN Human Rights Council(UNHRC) adopted a resolution
co-sponsored by 41 countries, which allows the Office of the High
Commissioner of Human Rights (OHCHR) to monitor progress and undertake a
comprehensive investigation into atrocities committed in the months
before the end of the war in May 2009
23 countries voted in favour of the resolution, 12 against and 12 abstained from voting.
The UNHRC adopted the resolution that mandates an international inquiry into allegations of major human
rights violations in Sri Lanka during the last seven years of the
war with 23 countries voting in favour of the document in the 47-nation
strong body.
While 12 countries including Pakistan, Maldives, Cuba,Venezuela, China, Russia voted against and
12 member-states abstained from voting, including India, Indonesia and Japan.
41 co sponsors have signed on to the US led resolution on Sri Lanka to promote human rights, reconciliation and accountability, including Albania,* Austria, Belgium,* Bulgaria,* Canada,* Croatia,* Cyprus,* Denmark,* Estonia, Finland,* France, Georgia,* Germany, Greece,* Hungary,* Iceland,* Ireland, Italy, Latvia,* Liechtenstein,* Lithuania,* Luxembourg,* Mauritius,* Montenegro, Netherlands,* Norway,* Poland,* Portugal,* Romania, Saint Kitts and Nevis,* Sierra Leone, Slovakia,* Spain,* Sweden,* Switzerland,* the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and the United States of America (* Non-member states of the UNHRC).
The resolution seeks to set up an international probe into alleged war crimes committed by both sides during the last seven years of the war.
Pakistan proposed the removal of a key paragraph of the resolution which details the role of the OHCHR, but the council voted against its removal.
Ravinath Ariyasinghe, Sri Lanka's UN envoy, "categorically and reservedly" rejected the resolution in a strongly worded statement, which did not address any of the allegations.
"The resolution will not only constitute a serious breach of international law but also sets a precedence on the sovereignty of nations," said Ariyasinghe.
Navi Pillay, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, had recommended that the 47-nation council authorise the investigation, saying Sri Lanka has made "little progress" towards ensuring accountability for alleged atrocities and war crimes committed during the 26-year civil war against the Tamil fighters.
At least one lakh people died during the war, which ended when government troops crushed the Tamil Tiger rebels who said they faced discrimination from the Sinhalese majority.
The vote required a simple majory from the council's members.
An international investigation would allow witnesses to testify after domestic inquiries failed to carry out credible investigations, Pillay told the council in Geneva on Wednesday.
Sri Lanka, however, has rejected the US-led call for accountability and sternly rejected Pillay's report, calling it biased, inaccurate and amounting to "needless interference" in the country's affairs.
Sri Lankan UN envoy Aryasinha told the countries supporting the resolution not to "put spokes in the wheel" of the government's reconciliation efforts before Thursday's vote.
23 countries voted in favour of the resolution, 12 against and 12 abstained from voting.
While 12 countries including Pakistan, Maldives, Cuba,Venezuela, China, Russia voted against and
12 member-states abstained from voting, including India, Indonesia and Japan.
41 co sponsors have signed on to the US led resolution on Sri Lanka to promote human rights, reconciliation and accountability, including Albania,* Austria, Belgium,* Bulgaria,* Canada,* Croatia,* Cyprus,* Denmark,* Estonia, Finland,* France, Georgia,* Germany, Greece,* Hungary,* Iceland,* Ireland, Italy, Latvia,* Liechtenstein,* Lithuania,* Luxembourg,* Mauritius,* Montenegro, Netherlands,* Norway,* Poland,* Portugal,* Romania, Saint Kitts and Nevis,* Sierra Leone, Slovakia,* Spain,* Sweden,* Switzerland,* the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and the United States of America (* Non-member states of the UNHRC).
The resolution seeks to set up an international probe into alleged war crimes committed by both sides during the last seven years of the war.
Pakistan proposed the removal of a key paragraph of the resolution which details the role of the OHCHR, but the council voted against its removal.
Ravinath Ariyasinghe, Sri Lanka's UN envoy, "categorically and reservedly" rejected the resolution in a strongly worded statement, which did not address any of the allegations.
"The resolution will not only constitute a serious breach of international law but also sets a precedence on the sovereignty of nations," said Ariyasinghe.
Navi Pillay, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, had recommended that the 47-nation council authorise the investigation, saying Sri Lanka has made "little progress" towards ensuring accountability for alleged atrocities and war crimes committed during the 26-year civil war against the Tamil fighters.
At least one lakh people died during the war, which ended when government troops crushed the Tamil Tiger rebels who said they faced discrimination from the Sinhalese majority.
The vote required a simple majory from the council's members.
An international investigation would allow witnesses to testify after domestic inquiries failed to carry out credible investigations, Pillay told the council in Geneva on Wednesday.
Sri Lanka, however, has rejected the US-led call for accountability and sternly rejected Pillay's report, calling it biased, inaccurate and amounting to "needless interference" in the country's affairs.
Sri Lankan UN envoy Aryasinha told the countries supporting the resolution not to "put spokes in the wheel" of the government's reconciliation efforts before Thursday's vote.
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