Motion on Lanka in German Parliament rejected
A motion on Sri Lanka titled "Use the UN Human Rights Council and
Demand Observance of Laws, Human Rights and Reconciliation Process in
Sri Lanka" was rejected with the votes of the governing coalition in the
German Bundestag (German Parliament) on February 28.
The motion presented by the Opposition Social Democratic Party (SPD)
group in Parliament was signed by its Chairman Dr. Frank-Walter
Steinmeier, who was also a former candidate for the German Chancellor
and former Federal Minister of Foreign Affairs.
Parliamentarian Jürgen Klimke speaking for the ruling Christian
Democratic Party (CDU) group argued that there was no need for the
motion as the Federal Government was already working actively with the
international community and the Sri Lankan Government to address issues
related to it.
Free Democratic Party (FDP) Parliamentarian Pascal Kober said that
the FDP-led Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development
and the Federal Government was very active in the promotion of peace and
Human Rights in Sri Lanka.
"With these activities, this governing coalition supports the
long-term process of reconciliation between the former conflicting
parties in Sri Lanka and thus promotes the step-by-step realisation of
Human Rights by the Sri Lankan Government," he said.
Parliamentarian of the Left Party Karin Werner referred to the
history of terrorism in Sri Lanka and said that its roots had been laid
by colonialism.
Parliamentarian of Alliance 90 / the Greens and Chairman of the Human
Rights Committee of the German Bundestag (Parliament) Tom Koenigs argued
that it was the responsibility of the international community to prevent
internal conflicts developing into Human Rights violations. Tom Koenigs
said that Germany should be the first to ensure better protection from
the gravest Human Rights violations.
The Sri Lankan Embassy in Berlin closely monitored the proceedings in
the German Parliament. |