Resolution not ‘against’ Sri Lanka says US

By Dharisha Bastians

The US Government yesterday emphasised its successful resolution at the UNHRC was not against Sri Lanka but aimed at helping the country to achieve lasting peace, justice and equality through an inclusive, constructive and expeditious process.

“I want to stress that this is a resolution on Sri Lanka and not against Sri Lanka,” US Ambassador Michele Sison told a press roundtable at the American Centre.

She said that Sri Lanka had been given ample time and space to address allegations of violations of human rights abuses and international humanitarian law.

“Three years and 10 months since the conclusion of the war might be considered ample ‘time and space’ provided to Colombo to make progress on investigating human rights allegations. We acknowledge that there are allegations of violations by both sides of the conflict,” Washington’s envoy said the day after the UN Human Rights Council adopted a second US-backed resolution urging reconciliation and accountability in Sri Lanka.

Responding to a question about taking the accountability process forward following the second resolution in Geneva, the US envoy said the next step would be continued dialogue with Sri Lanka, other international partners and friends of Sri Lanka about a practical way to ensure a thorough investigation into alleged humanitarian law violations. Calling the second UNHRC resolution to promote reconciliation and accountability in Sri Lanka “balanced and constructive,” Sison reiterated that the US-backed initiative was not a move against Colombo.

The US envoy hailed the broad consensus the resolution had received in the council and outside the 47-member UN body, with 41 co-sponsors and an overwhelming majority voting in support of the draft.

The broad support the UNHRC resolution had received sent a strong clear message to Sri Lanka that the international community was interested in working with the Government on reconciliation and accountability issues, the US Ambassador said.

“Sri Lanka must deal with outstanding issues in these areas,” Ambassador Sison said, reiterating that the US was saying this as a long-standing friend of the country. “The 2013 resolution notes that considerable work lies ahead in the area of justice, reconciliation and resumption of livelihoods.”

The US envoy stressed that the resolution was a result of the international community coming together to ask Sri Lanka to do more “to fulfil its own obligations to its people and to take meaningful, concrete steps on reconciliation and accountability”.

The US Ambassador said that nearly four years since the end of the conflict, questions remained about democracy, rule of law and human rights in Sri Lanka. Despite the criticism levelled against the report by UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Navi Pillay, the fact that the Council had supported a resolution that welcomed the report of the High Commissioner and notes her call for an international investigation into alleged abuses sends a strong message to Sri Lanka about Pillay’s report and offer of assistance, Ambassador Sison said.

The US envoy said her office looked forward to continued vigorous engagement and a robust exchange of views with senior Sri Lankan officials going forward from the UNHRC’s 22nd session. Ambassador Sison said the US remained ready to assist Sri Lanka and was committed to taking a constructive approach going forward.

“Life does not stop on 21 March,” she quipped.