Human Rights Watch has called upon the UN Human Rights Council to vote in favour of a resolution on Sri Lanka and support an international investigation into allegations of war crimes.

Juliette De Rivero, Geneva director for the organisation, stated,

“The Human Rights Council needs to step in and act for justice because Sri Lanka has failed to do so.”

“Instead of investigating those responsible for atrocities, the Sri Lankan government has cynically absolved its forces of any wrongdoing and lashed out at those seeking accountability. Passing this resolution will send a strong message to all victims of Sri Lanka’s war that they have not been forgotten.”

The last 2 weeks has seen the arrests of 27 Tamils across the North-East, reported Jaffna-based newspaper the Uthayan.

Arrests are reported to have taken place in Ezhaalai, Sunnagam, Vadamaradchi, Kilinochchi, Mullaitivu and Vavuniya by the government’s Terrorist Investigation Department.

India’s ruling Congress party has pledged to work with other countries to bring about a “credible, objective, time-bound inquiry into allegations of human rights violation” in Sri Lanka, in their manifesto released this week.

The party manifesto, entitled “Your voice, Our pledge” stated,

“We will work with other countries, to prevail upon Sri Lanka to ensure a credible, objective, time-bound inquiry into allegations of human rights violations and excesses committed by the Sri Lankan forces, during the concluding phases of the operations against the LTTE.”

The Canadian parliament unanimously adopted a motion calling for an independent international inquiry mechanism to take place in Sri Lanka and welcomed the report of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights.

The full text of the motion, brought forward by NDP MP Paul Dewar, is below.

A senior police officer placed in the Jaffna, today, denied that women and children were being sexually abused in the North East.

Hours before the UN Human Rights Council is set to vote on a resolution calling on the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights undertake a comprehensive investigation into Sri Lanka, the country's President Mahinda Rajapaksa proclaimed it was “unconcerned about the outcome of the Geneva election”, asserting that the “people would win” regardless of the outcome.

The Sri Lankan Presidents remarks came as the country's ambassador to Geneva Ravinatha Aryasinha warned that Sri Lanka would reject the resolution, as it had done the two previous ones. 

Speaking at an election rally in the South yesterday, President Rajapaksa told the Sinhala people,

"The Government is certain to win the Provincial Council elections and therefore is unconcerned about the outcome of the Geneva election."

The Official Government News Portal of Sri Lanka further quoted him as saying,

“Betraying one's motherland is similar to betraying one's own mother. Patriotic people never betray or harm their motherland”.

His remarks follow Sri Lanka telling the UN Human Rights Council that it has "consistently rejected previous resolutions" and "would do so again".

The Sri Lankan Army has been increasingly monitoring former LTTE cadres and threatening that ‘the past will happen again’ if they do not inform the security forces about any suspected ‘terrorist’ activities, reported the Uthayan.

Sri Lanka’s Ambassador Ravinatha Aryasinha addressing the UN Human Rights Council earlier today.

Sri Lanka has reiterated its rejection of a resolution at the UN Human Rights Council, moments before member states are set to vote in Geneva.

Addressing the Council, Sri Lanka’s Ambassador Ravinatha Aryasinha, labelled the resolution an “infringement of state sovereignty” adding,

“Sri Lanka categorically and unreservedly rejects this draft resolution, as it challenges the sovereignity and independence of a Member State of the UN, violates principles of international law, based on profoundly flawed premises, and is inimical to the interests to the people of Sri Lanka”.

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India today outlined that it would abstain from voting on the resolution promoting reconciliation, accountability and human rights in Sri Lanka, moments before member states are set to vote.

Despite noting findings from the UN Human Rights Chief’s report that outlined Sri Lanka’s failure to perform credible independent investigations into atrocities, the Indian representative urged the council to ‘enable Sri Lanka’ to perform an ‘independent comprehensive and credible national investigative mechanism’ to provide justice and accountability for Sri Lankan atrocities. 

The International Commission of Jurists has stated that UN Human Rights Council resolution to establish an international investigation into allegations of human rights violations sends a strong message to Sri Lanka and “gives hope to tens of thousands of victims who continue to be denied truth and justice”.

PM Cameron pledges to call for international investigation at CHOGM in Sri Lanka Nov 2013

Welcoming the passing of the UN Rights Council’s resolution on Sri Lanka, British Prime Minister David Cameron said he was proud of his country’s role in securing an international investigation into war times atrocities there. 

“I said that we would achieve more by standing up for our values rather than sitting on the sidelines. And that is exactly what we have done,” he said in a statement issued shortly after HRC members states approved the resolution.

The full text of the statement follows:

“I am pleased that the UN Human Rights Council has today agreed to press ahead with its own independent investigation into alleged war crimes in Sri Lanka.
 

Speaking to Tamil Guardian minutes after the UN Human Rights Council adopted a resolution requesting the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights to undertake a comprehensive investigation into Sri Lanka's mass atrocities, the spokesperson of the Global Tamil Forum said the organisation was grateful to the US and all co-sponsors, and called on the international community to "make it abundantly clear to President Mahinda Rajapaksa and his government the consequences of non-cooperation and/or if they obstruct the investigation directly or indirectly."

The Canadian Tamil Congress has welcomed the international investigative mechanism mandated by the UN Human Rights Council earlier today, stating that it “represents a significant step forward in achieving accountability and justice on the island of Sri Lanka”.

In a statement released after the Council voted in favour of a resolution, the CTC said,

The passing of a resolution by the UN Human Rights Council, which will see an investigation undertaken by the Office of the High Commissioner Human Rights, has been welcomed by Human Rights Watch.