Govt’s decision to seek Parliament’s views hailed

by Manjula Fernando

Plantation Industries Minister and President’s Special Envoy on Human Rights Mahinda Samarasinghe welcomed the Government’s decision to seek Parliament’s views to grant access to the team of UN Human Rights Chief, appointed to investigate alleged human rights violations during the humanitarian operation and earlier.

He said, “It would be important to identify those who are with the country and those who are not.” If the UNHRC permitted the team to conduct a probe on Sri Lanka without the consent of the country concerned, it will lack credibility.

The Hindu newspaper reported that the office of the UN High Commissioner would use its own methodologies to carry out the task mandated by the third US resolution if Sri Lanka did not cooperate.

Sri Lanka has rejected the probe saying that it violated the principles of international law and is an attempt to interfere in the country’s internal affairs.

This stance was officially conveyed by Sri Lanka’s Permanent Representative to the UN in Geneva Ravinatha Aryasingha on Tuesday.

Minister Samarasinghe said that the Government always maintained that the call for an international investigation was a mere political ploy by certain member countries and their aim was to destabilise the country, especially since this has been forced on Sri Lanka when a domestic mechanism which has shown much progress, has yet to conclude.

“There is a lot of rhetoric put forward by the opposition and now they have been given a chance to show their commitment to national interest.”

In response to the JVP’s move to propose amendments to the motion, he said when a substantive motion is brought in, any party can propose amendments. “Let’s see what those recommendations are and then we can respond to them accordingly.”

The Minister said the Government would not have any issue if these recommendations strengthened national interest.

“We oppose international mechanisms with past negative experiences”. For instance, the International Independent Group of Eminent Persons (IIGEP) which observed the Udalagama Commission’s proceedings accused the Government of political interference in the Commission’s work, in their interim report.

The report was signed by several members of IIGEP representing the Western countries without the consent of its Chairman, former Indian Chief Justice P.N. Bhagwati.

“When the interim report was made known to him by me Justice Bhagwati issued a statement distancing himself from the interim report. This led to the IIGEP to winding up its work on Sri Lanka. One of the three members of this Group was Marsuki Darusman. “

“We don’t want a repeat of this in the future.