Commenting on the United Nations (UN) Core Group attempt to hand over a Resolution against Sri Lanka at the 46th session of the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC), Justice and Prison Reforms Minister Ali Sabry (PC) said he is sure that they would think rationally about it and engage with the Government before they take some harsh or unnecessary decisions which will harm the ground situation in the country.
“Foreign Minister Dinesh Gunawardena along with a team of eminent people and resource personnel have been trying to convince them. I feel the outcome will be something reasonable”, the Minister told the Sunday Observer yesterday.
Asked when grave human rights violations have taken place in some other countries why is Sri Lanka being deliberately targeted at each UNHRC session by some of these Western countries, Minister Sabry said there are two different yardsticks they use for different countries.
“I think we have a credible legal system and an independent judiciary. We have a very good transitional democracy. We have never doubted or challenged the outcome of an election. Since 1947, even before the official election results are announced in Sri Lanka, our leaders have conceded defeat and left office. They have always respected democracy. Therefore, I don’t think we should be judged unfairly,” he said. The Minister said, however, there are some prejudices. If you look at a recent comment by the former Irish Prime Minister who had tweeted that former US President Donald Trump is holding on to power without conceding defeat and he likes to run the US in a manner in which some other countries have opted to do and named Sri Lanka.
It has never happened in Sri Lanka. That kind of thing shows what kind of prejudice they have against us. That is not the way but we will continue to engage with our friends both in the West and other parts of the world.
Minister Sabry said our Security Forces fought against the most ruthless terrorist organisation in the world which introduced suicide bombings to the world. Therefore, we have fought back and defeated the LTTE and that is something to be celebrated which no other country has done.
He said at present, many development programs are being launched in the North and the East. If we look back, nearly 12,784 LTTE cadres surrendered and almost all of them were rehabilitated and reintegrated to the society. However, all these positive developments have not been taken into consideration.
The international community or the so-called people who propose Resolutions against Sri Lanka and particularly the United Nations Human Rights Commissioner Michelle Bachelet should be reasonable without making things even worse for the people of Sri Lanka.