US Backed Resolution Against Sri Lanka

Yesterday the UN Human Rights council adopted the US backed resolution seeking Sri Lanka to investigate alleged war crimes against civilians. It is blatantly obvious that this is another concerted effort by the Tamil diaspora backed by the western powers to seek vengeance from Sri Lanka. It is ironical how US is selectively targeting Sri Lanka over the alleged human rights violations pertaining to an internal crisis, whilst condoning their persistent violations of human rights carried out in the Middle East and Afghanistan. This particular resolution is going to be a very unhealthy precedent where the UN Human Rights Council has adopted the resolution acting solely on political considerations.

That being said it has to be said that the SL government’s approach to this issue has being lamentably undiplomatic. The government has missed a trick by not giving emphasis to addressing the issue with the US when they were given the opportunity to negotiate, rather than the futile effort of trying to lobby the member states to defeat the resolution. Knowing so well how the UNHRC has historically acted according to the whims of the US, they should have realized that only Russia and China have the audacity to go against such a resolution. Had they taken a more diplomatic approach by being involved with the US before the resolution was taken up, they could have been able to control the damage caused considerably. The country’s minster of external affairs is set to meet the US secretary of state in the coming months, and the US is in a better position to browbeat Sri Lanka to act according to their orders.

The government has got carried away with the efforts to garner support locally, where the members of the government indulged in singing anti US slogans further distancing themselves from a possible negotiation with the relevant parties, while some cabinet ministers going as far as calling on the people to boycott US products. The sooner the government puts an end to these type antics the better for the cause of Sri Lanka. It is crucial that government focus on fighting ‘the battle’ on the right front and take a cohesive stance with regard to the issue.