Counterproductive for Sri Lanka to have called for vote at UNHRC: Minister

Colombo, Oct 9 (PTI) Sri Lankan Foreign Minister Vijitha Herath on Thursday said that it would have been counterproductive to have called a vote at the UNHRC for a resolution adopted this week to promote reconciliation, accountability and human rights in the island nation.

The resolution, adopted by the UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC) on Monday without a vote, also extended the mandate of the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) on Sri Lanka for two more years. The resolution was strongly rejected by Sri Lanka.

Herath is facing criticism for not lobbying friendly countries to call for a vote.

Speaking in parliament, he said a confrontational attitude requesting a vote would have placed obstacles in the Sri Lankan government’s attempt to solve an internal issue which has been internationalised due to the bungling by the predecessor governments.

He said that since 2009, previous governments spent large amounts of state resources sending officials to UNHRC member countries to lobby for support, knowing that Sri Lanka could only face defeats at each of the past resolutions.

“They spent millions of public funds for ministers and officials to travel to UNHRC member countries to lobby their support. Everything they did was a media circus, knowing that defeat was the certain outcome,” Herath said.

He said Sri Lanka’s support from among the 47 member countries had slid to 15 in 2012, 13 in 2013, 12 in 2014 and 11 in 2021.

The resolution adopted this week called for holding the long-held-back provincial council elections to give effect to the 13th amendment to the constitution, repealing the Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA) and the Online Safety Act, among other issues. PTI CORR GRS GRS GRS