UNHRC endorsement a morale booster

The success of Sri Lanka's relentless battle against terrorism was hailed by many countries - especially the friendly countries, which have been a tower of strength. It is due to their support and inspiration that Sri Lanka was able to beat all odds in the international arena.

Sri Lanka's triumph at the UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC) on Wednesday clearly demonstrated that the vast majority of the member nations in the UNHRC had endorsed the policies of President Mahinda Rajapaksa who launched the largest human rescue operation in the recent history of the world.

Sri Lanka not only accomplished the gigantic task of rescuing nearly half a million civilians in the North and the East from the jaws of LTTE terrorism but also achieved that in style maintaining an almost zero civilian casualty rate, defending the human rights of the people.

The Sri Lankan resolution - `Assistance to Sri Lanka in the promotion and protection of human rights', has been adopted by the UNHRC by an absolute majority. While endorsing the Government's efforts to eradicate terrorism and the professional manner in which Sri Lanka handled the world's largest hostage rescue operation, Sri Lanka has got a clear mandate both from its own people as well as the international community.

Minister Mahinda Samarasinghe who led the Lankan delegation to Geneva, was able to convince the international community of the Government's bona fides Sri Lanka's resolution, which was subjected to a vote, was adopted by the 47-member Council with 29 voting in favour and 12 against. Six countries abstained from voting.

The vote of 29 UN Security Council member states is a clear message that the international community has been strongly behind Sri Lanka in its relentless battle against terrorism and its endeavour to rebuild the nation to provide its citizens equal opportunities.

The international community also endorsed Sri Lanka's open and transparent stance and its willingness to engage in dialogue to resolve allegations of human rights abuse. Sri Lanka's Permanent Representative at the UN in Geneva, Dr. Dayan Jayatillake responding to the outcome, has said it was "the best synthesis of the sentiments of the Human Rights Council".

Sri Lanka's Security Forces have always acted in a highly responsible and exemplary manner, with utmost care for the safety of civilians. In fact, the origin of the world's largest humanitarian operation to rescue nearly half a million innocent civilians from the LTTE terror rule, was initiated when the terrorists deprived farmers their basic need of water at Mavil Aru.

Ever since, Sri Lanka's brave Security Forces conducted their humanitarian operations in a highly professional manner and made the island nation the first country in the world to completely eradicate terrorism. In order to maintain a zero civilian casualty rate, the Security Forces took many risks and more soldiers paid their supreme sacrifice in order to protect Tamil civilians.

Even though the LTTE forcibly held innocent civilians as a human shield, the Government continued to send food and medical supplies to uncleared areas on a regular basis, making Sri Lanka the only country to feed a group of terrorists.

The efforts in Geneva constituted a major achievement in terms of Sri Lanka's international relations in the immediate aftermath of successfully countering LTTE terrorism. The final result, 29 countries voting for us and only 12 opposing, shows that Sri Lanka stands on top in terms of wide support from States across the globe.

What is more significant and creditable in the UNHRC voting was that the endorsement from those 29 countries was made amidst an adverse international campaign by the LTTE propaganda organ and our own opportunist politicians.Amidst the backing of all ethnic groups for the Government's all-out efforts to wipe out terrorism and the UN Security Council's acceptance of Sri Lanka's legitimate right to combat terrorism, the Leader of the Opposition Ranil Wickremesinghe embarked on a controversial tour of Europe.

It was a desperate attempt to exert more international pressure on the Government to go for a ceasefire with the LTTE to save Prabharakan in the eleventh hour. Wickremesinghe cut a sorry figure at the end.

The sole intention of his recent European tour, apparently, was to hold discussions with several Scandinavian officials on the situation in Sri Lanka and was a strategy to save the LTTE leadership. Despite all his attempts to paint a gloomy picture of Sri Lanka to the international community, he could not prevent Sri Lanka's landslide victory at UNHRC voting.

Now that Sri Lanka has got it all clear and gained the international backing, it is time for all of us to unite as one and develop this country. The first step towards that should be to secure a better tomorrow for the civilians displaced in the North as a result of the LTTE terror.

There was a time some INGOs and certain countries made a big hue and cry on the well-being of civilians, forcibly held by the LTTE as a human shield.

Instead of exerting pressure on the terrorists to release the civilians, those countries and INGOs pressurised Sri Lanka to cease the operations against the LTTE.Now it's the time for all of them to prove their sincerity. If they are genuinely worried about the safety and well-being of the civilians, they should help Sri Lanka and make an active contribution towards the Government's resettlement and redevelopment program in the North.Under the `Uthuru Wasanthaya' (Northern Spring) program, the Government has already drawn a comprehensive plan to resettle the displaced persons, grant them an opportunity to exercise their democratic rights and develop infrastructure facilities.

Time is now opportune for the international community to become partners of Sri Lanka's genuine effort to find a better tomorrow for the civilians who have been rescued from the jaws of the LTTE terror.