‘UN’s Troika not a witch-hunt’

by Manjula FERNANDO

The Government yesterday emphasized that the Troika appointed by the UN Human Rights Council was not on a witch-hunt, but rather on assisting Sri Lanka prepare the final report to be adopted on November 5, at the end of its Universal Periodic Review (UPR).

Special Envoy on Human Rights Minister Mahinda Samarasinghe said the role of Troika was clearly defined in the resolution passed at the UNHCR.

“The role of Troika is stipulated in the resolution itself, and anyone who reads the resolution would understand that its role is simply to act as a group of rapporteurs.”

The Minister said it would coordinate between the country concerned and the other countries which would make observations and recommendations in relation to the country report that would be presented on the first day of the Sri Lanka UPR and later adopted with amendments on November 5.

The members to this committee were appointed randomly in a lottery and not as premeditatedly in a way to antagonise Sri Lanka as assumed by some news reports.

India, Spain and Benin are representing the three-member committee that is ‘working with Sri Lanka in preparing the UPR final report’, he said.

“As far as the selection of India is concerned, it was because Sri Lanka opted to include a representative from our own Asian region,” the Minister said.

He said there are no questions about them visiting the country, since that it had never been done before.

Referring to the visit of UN Human Rights High Commissioner Navaneetham Pillai, the Minister said the High Commissioner was invited by the Sri Lankan Government last year but she is yet to inform a date that is convenient to her to undertake the tour.

“We would not have extended an invitation without making a commitment to facilitate such a visit.”

Asked about the fact that they voted against Sri Lanka when the US backed resolution was taken up at the Human Rights Council regular sessions in March last year, he said, “That is irrelevant because the role of the Troika is simply to coordinate, in the preparation of the final report.

“Whatever individual country positions expressed in March will not be represented in the final report. The UPR is a constructive engagement among peers. That is why it is called a peer review.”

He said there will be recommendations and observations by the concerned countries included in the final report but only if the country concerned is willing to accommodate them.