Author: TELO Admin

The core group of countries working on Sri Lanka’s issue at the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) will be ready with the final version of the resolution after another session of informal consultations with the states interested in the issue, an official said yesterday.

During the past week, such sessions were conducted on the resolution which Sri Lanka has already rejected. The United Kingdom which leads the core group called for these sessions.

The western countries, particularly those in the Scandinavian region, asked for strong wording of the resolution amidst objections by the member states that back

Sri Lanka. China, Russia, Cuba and Pakistan are among the countries that lead support for Sri Lanka. Sri Lanka has made engagements with India to woo its support, but there was no commitment even yesterday.

The hunger strike launched by the Tamil community to urge the international community to take the Sri Lankan government before the International Criminal Court (ICC) continues ​​in three locations in the North and East.

Religious leaders, university students and civil society activists began a hunger strike in front of the Nallur Kandaswamy Kovil in Jaffna on Sunday, February 28, demanding that all war criminals in Sri Lanka be brought before the International Criminal Court and that justice be done to the Tamil people.

While the Police attempted to prevent the fast, they later had to leave the location following the intervention of the organisers.

The fast commenced by the people of the East in front of the Mamangam Pulleyar Kovil in Batticaloa on Tuesday, March 2 continues for the sixth day today, while the fast started in front of the Draupadi Devalaya in Kalmunai, Ampara has completed five days today.

According to provincial correspondents, the Tamil people hope to continue the fast until March 23.

While the 46th session of the UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC) is currently underway in Geneva, protesters called on countries led by the UK that brought the resolution against Sri Lanka to refer Sri Lanka to the International Criminal Court.

Foremost among their demands is that justice should be done to the Tamil people in the North and East who have become victims of war crimes.

Journalists in Jaffna say that groups of university students will support the fast, which has been going on in Jaffna for more than three weeks.

At a press conference in the capital, several Sri Lankan civil society organisations recently called for all war criminals in Sri Lanka to be brought before the International Criminal Court and brought to justice.

United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet, in a recent report, has widely accused Sri Lanka of “grave human rights abuses” and called for accountability for war crimes.

“The time has come to take international action to bring justice to international crimes,” the High Commissioner said in her 17-page report.

Writing to Minister of State for Asia, Nigel Adams, UK Shadow Minister for Asia and the Pacific, Stephen Kinnock, has called on the government to ‘comprehensively rewrite’ the current proposed UN resolution and questioned why the government’s review of its Global Human Rights sanctions regime does not include “a single senior Sri Lankan government minister, official or military officer”.

In his statement Kinnock criticised the government’s refusal to consider referring Sri Lanka to the ICC, maintain that Britain’s position, “should not be determined simply by the veto-wielding intentions of two of its permanent members”. Britain’s refusal to refer Sri Lanka to the ICC has sparked a great deal of criticism from human rights defenders and Tamil activists.

Failing to rise to the challenge

In his statement, Kinnock, slammed the government’s response maintain that “the UK government has a particular responsibility to demonstrate moral and political leadership on this matter, but unfortunately it is clear judging by this drafting resolution that you are failing to rise to the challenge”.

Kinnock criticised the resolution noting that it was “too vague and insufficiently robust”. Thus failing “to reflect the extent of the devasting impact of the human rights abuses that have been perpetrated in Sri Lanka”. He further maintains that it “falls far short of what is required in terms of tangible action”.

In his statement, Kinnock raised five specific concerns with the resolution

1. Kinnock notes that Britain should support the High Commissioner’s call for the application of universal jurisprudence noting that “it is beyond doubt that the Sri Lankan government and military will continue to deny, delay and evade accountability”. He calls on the British government to confirm that the principle of universal jurisdiction must be applied to the actions of the Sri Lankan government and military
2. The resolution is also criticised as it fails to recommend the establishment of an International Independent Investigative mechanism (IIIM). Kinnock criticises the vague reference in the resolution to strengthening evidence gathering and collation, maintain that the resolution should emphasis that a III-M is required.
3. He also notes that whilst there would be opposition to Sri Lanka being referred to the International Criminal Court, “it is not an acceptable argument against trying”. He emphasises that the UK’s position “should not be determined simply by the veto-wielding intentions of two of its permanent members”.
4. Kinnock highlights that there is nothing in the draft resolution about prevention and asks the government what steps it will take “to ensure that this resolution leads to tangible measures to protect human rights defenders on the ground from the increasingly aggressive actions of the Sri Lankan authorities?”
5. Kinnock also criticises the piece noting that the time scale given for considering accountability options, “18 months”, is “unacceptably long”. The evidence is clear and the UNHRC needs to take action now, rather than allowing the Sri Lankan government yet more time to obstruct and obfuscate”. He calls for this timescale to be amended to “6 months”.

Magnitsky sanctions

Commenting on the UK’s sanction regime, he notes that the UK has not included “a single senior Sri Lankan government minister, official or military officer”. He further notes that Lord Ahmad’s claim that the government is keeping “all evidence and potential listing under review”. Responding to this he asks why “this review is taking so long, given the extent of the detailed evidence that is already widely available about the gross human rights violations that have taken place there?”

Kinnock emphasises “that the chances of the resolution being approved by the UNHRC on 24 March will be enhanced if it is made more robust and substantial”. He further warns that the UK governments’ draft resolution could be rejected “if its too weak and lacks substance”.

He concludes by emphasising that the UK “owes it to the victims and survivors of the atrocities that have taken place in Sri Lanka to ensure that it rises to the occasion and shows the moral courage and leadership that is so urgently needed”.

The Bodu Bala Sena organisation has requested the Chief Prelates of the three chapters to issue a joint statement pertaining to their stance on the report by the Presidential Commission of Inquiry that probed the Easter Sunday attacks.

Speaking to media after calling on the Chief Prelates in Kandy today General Secretary of the Bodu Bala Sena organisation venerable Galagodaththe Gnanasara thera said the report by the Commission is warped and claimed they will launch a satyagraha campaign in protest.

Gnanasara thera said discussions were held regarding the report with the Chief Prelates.

Gnanasara thera said the Chief prelates fulfilled their duty in every occasion in the country, adding that although they don’t comment on every matter, they are closely monitoring all incidents and are notifying relevant persons when required.

The thera said a negative fate has befallen the Buddhist community through the warped report, adding that Bodu Bala Sena organisation will take the lead in uplifting the country from the disaster it fell into as a result of extremism.

The entire northern province is experiencing an electricity disruption following a technical issue at the Anuradhapura New Grid Sub-station.

The spokesperson for the Ministry of Power Sulakshana Jayawardena speaking to News 1st said several other areas which receive electricity from the Valachchenai, Habarana, Polonnaruwa, and Vavuniya Grid Sub-Station too are experiencing a power-cut.

Both the Anuradhapura and Polonnaruwa districts are also in the dark, he added.

Following the unequivocal support extended by China to Sri Lanka on the Core Group’s draft resolution at the UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC), Sri Lanka questioned the reliability of the data in the report of the Special Rapporteur, Ahmed Shaheed, on the Uighur Muslims of China.

Sri Lanka’s representative C.A.Chandraprema strongly defended China’s treatment of the Uighur Muslims in the Xinjiang province of China in the Interactive Dialogue on March 4.

Chandraprema said that Special Rapporteur Shaheed’s claims about discrimination against the Uighurs were based only on biased and sensational reporting in the Western media.

Problems facing the Muslims community in Sri Lanka received a brief reference in Shaheed’s report, specifically referring to mob attacks against Muslims in which the police appeared to be complicit. In reply to Shaheed, Chandraprema said that the Sri Lankan Constitution upholds the right to freedom of religion and denied violence and discrimination against Muslims following the Easter Sunday bombings in April 2019.

Focus On Defending China

Having said that Ambassador Chandraprema quickly switched focus to the UN Special Rapporteur’s findings on the treatment of the Uighurs in China’s Xingjiang province. He said Shaheed’s report on the Uighurs had quoted “various Western media outlets” that had made “various sensational claims” about issues encountered by the Muslims in China.

“We have serious concerns about the credibility of these sources. We note that the policy of freedom of religion has been fully implemented in the Xinxiang province,” he said.

In a broadside against Western countries, the Sri Lankan Envoy said: “Many Muslim countries have been destroyed in the past two decades in the guise of promoting democracy. However, Xinxiang has been at peace and has enjoyed democracy with the rest of China during this period.”

Shaheed had also been critical of the Indian Government in his Islamophobia report which drew a harsh response from New Delhi’s representative participating in the Interactive Dialogue. But the Lankan Ambassador did not make a reference to the allegations against India during his intervention.

Colombage Defends China

Sri Lanka’s Envoy’s remarks came in Beijing’s defense came in the wake of Foreign Secretary Adm. Prof. Jayanath Colambage’s assertion that he had “seen no evidence” to suggest genocide in Xinjiang.

The Foreign Secretary had called the Government of China “guardians” of the people of Xinjiang. Colambage’s interview was widely circulated in the form of a promotional video by the Chinese State media.

China Backed Lanka

China had earlier strongly backed Sri Lanka over the Core Group’s draft resolution on the human rights situation in Sri Lanka and the war crimes charges against its armed forces.

Chinese envoy Chen Xu had said: “The proposed targeted sanctions contained in the OHCHR’s report are clear interference in the internal affairs of Sri Lanka and exceed the mandate of the OHCHR. We hope that the HRC and the OHCHR will strictly follow impartiality, objectivity, non-selectivity and non-politicisation principles, respect the sovereignty and political independence of all nations, respect the efforts of the nations for the protection and promotion of human rights, advocate constructive dialogue and cooperation, and abandon the practice of interfering in the internal affairs of other countries and exerting political pressure.”

UN View on Uighurs

Draft UN experts and activists claim that one million Muslim Uighurs are detained in camps in Xinjiang Province. Last week, UN Human Rights Chief Michelle Bachelet decried the ill-treatment of the community and demanded access into the region.

In February, the Dutch Parliament passed a non-binding motion saying the treatment of the Muslim Uighur minority in China amounted to genocide, the first such move by a European country.

Chinese Envoy Reprimanded

During Thursday’s Dialogue with the Special Rapporteur, China was reprimanded by the Chair for using its time to launch a scathing attack on Shaheed. The Chinese Delegation said Shaheed had relied “only on BBC and New York Times” to slander and smear China.

The Special Rapporteur was “wantonly” spreading false information, the Chinese representative said, adding that Shaheed lacked “basic professional ethics and serves as a political tool for Western countries”.

The Chair said: “I would like to remind the speaker that I cannot allow derogatory or inflammatory remarks to be made against a special rapporteur. That is not allowed by the rules. No personal attacks should be made.”

Ahmed Shaheed’s Report

Introducing his damning report about Islamophobia world over at the UN Human Rights Council on Thursday, Shaheed said institutional suspicion and fear of Muslims and those perceived to be Muslim have escalated to “epidemic proportions.”

The UN Special Rapporteur said that “numerous” States, regional and international bodies were to blame. In a report to the Council, he cited European surveys in 2018 and 2019 that showed that nearly four in 10 people held unfavourable views about Muslims.

In 2017, 30% of Americans viewed Muslims “in a negative light”, the Special Rapporteur added.

Source:https:Newsin.asia