In the wake of the US threatening to throw its weight behind a resolution against Sri Lanka, at the forthcoming UN Human Rights Council in Geneva, the Australian Senate has convincingly defeated an attempt by Green Senator, Lee Rhiannon (representative for New South Wales) to move a motion calling for the establishment of an independent international mechanism targeting the Sri Lankan government.
Government sources told The Island that the defeat of the motion by 11 votes for and 30 against couldnt have come at a better time for Sri Lanka under pressure by a section of the international community, hell-bent on undermining the government, at the behest of the LTTE and its political arm, the Tamil National Alliance (TNA).
The Australian government and the Opposition voted together on Feb. 9 to defeat the latest LTTE-inspired move, sources said. Those who value Sri Lankas role in thwarting boat-loads of bogus asylum seekers leaving for Australia would never support a motion against the country, sources said.
The motion called on the Australian government to "acknowledge that the LLRC fails to adequately address the issues of war crimes and crimes against humanity committed during the Sri Lankan conflict, and support calls for the UNSG and the UN Security Council to establish an independent mechanism to investigate the issues if war crimes and crimes against humanity had been committed in Sri Lanka, as recommended by the report of the UNSGs Panel of Experts on accountability in Sri Lanka."
Sources said that this was the second unsuccessful motion moved in the Senate targeting Sri Lanka in the recent past. Last September Senator Rhiannon called for the suspension of Sri Lanka from the Commonwealth also at the behest of the lobby.
A spokesperson for the Presidents Office told The Island that it was heartening to know that in spite of relentless attempts to embarrass Sri Lanka, the Australian Senate had overwhelmingly voted against the resolution, which was nothing but LTTE propaganda.