Lanka escapes censure at UN rights council
The European Union, which was expected to table a resolution critical of the island's government, did not submit any, reports PK Balachandran.
Sri Lanka has escaped censure at the 6th session of the UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC) now on in Geneva, despite the best efforts of rights groups and the media both in the island and overseas.
The European Union (EU), which was expected to table a resolution critical of the island's government, did not submit any.
A press release from the Sri Lankan mission at the UN Office in Geneva said on Thursday that no reference to any resolution on Sri Lanka appeared in the final list of draft resolutions circulated by the UNHRC Secretariat at 3 pm on Monday, September 24.
The deadline for the submission of draft resolutions was 12 noon on that day and none on Sri Lanka had come in by then.
As per the rules, the draft submitted by the EU during last year's session, was not valid for this year, the release said.
World support for Colombo
"Many delegations, including India, Japan, South Africa, Indonesia and Bangladesh, in their interventions to the Council were appreciative of the initiatives of Sri Lanka in the promotion and protection of human rights," the release added.
There was no support for any action against Sri Lanka from other countries and multi-lateral bodies too.
Earlier, Sri Lankan President had told the UN General Assembly in New York that the international community should stop victimizing countries which were facing the brunt of terrorism and abjure the cynical use of human rights issues to gain political advantage.