iThinkShare

India Votes Against Sri Lanka at the United Nations  

Geneva/ New Delhi: 

  India has voted for the resolution against Sri Lanka at the UN Human Rights Council session in Geneva. 25 countries have voted for the US-backed resolution that addresses alleged war crimes by Lankan forces during the country's civil war with the Tamil Tigers. India has called for an "independent and credible investigation into allegations of human rights violations and loss of civilian lives." It did not, however, move any amendments. 

While 13 countries, including Pakistan, voted against, eight member-states abstained from voting on the contentious resolution that saw political tremors in India with DMK pulling out of the UPA alliance and the government. Gabon, a member-country had voting rights issue.

During Sri Lanka's bloody civil war, which lasted from 1983 to 2009, the Tamil Tiger rebels made suicide bombings their hallmark.

The UN Human Rights Council resolution underlined that states "must ensure that any measure taken to combat terrorism complies with their obligations under international law, in particular international human rights law, international refugee law and international humanitarian law."

It also welcomed Sri Lanka's efforts to rebuild war-damaged infrastructure, clear landmines from the former conflict zone and resettle the majority of people who were displaced during the civil war.

But it noted that "considerable work lies ahead in the areas of justice, reconciliation and the resumption of livelihoods", and that all groups, including minorities, should be able to participate fully. 

 External Affairs Minister Salman Khurshid was quick to play down India’s vote against Sri Lanka, and reiterated India’s concern to maintain a strong relationship with Sri Lanka.

“We have a relationship with Sri Lanka and therefore, we have to use that relationship to arrive at an acceptable level of delivery. That is what bilaterally we will continue to do,” he said.

Although the resolution at the UN Human Rights Council is non-binding, it has already threatened ties between India and Sri Lanka.

Sri Lanka has now decided to “repossess” part of a strategic oil storage depot from India’s public sector Indian Oil Company, almost immediately after the UNHRC vote.

The move follows India’s decision to support the US-sponsored resolution against Sri Lanka at the UNHRC, calling for an inquiry into alleged civilian killings during the military campaign to eliminate LTTE, the ruthless terrorist organisation led by 

V Prabhakaran.

DMK, AIADMK slam Centre for stand on Lankan Tamils issue at UN

 

"India has also diluted the original resolution moved by the US. This does not meet the aspirations of Tamils in Sri Lanka, the people of Tamil Nadu as well as DMK," Siva said.

In the Rajya Sabha, AIADMK, DMK and CPI members expressed their displeasure over India's intervention during a vote on a US-sponsored resolution at the UNHRC session in Geneva.

"We are not happy. Government of India has let us down," V Maitreyan (AIADMK) said.

D Raja (CPI) said the "government has let us down terribly. India has made oral submissions and we were kept in the dark about this. We strongly protest this."

As soon the Rajya Sabha disposed of the legislative business, AIADMK and DMK members moved into the Well with placards shouting slogans "Betrayal of Tamils by UPA."

As slogan-shouting continued despite appeals, Chairman Hamid Ansari adjourned the House till Friday.

5 Points guides on the resolution

1. The resolution is sponsored by the US and aims at "promoting reconciliation and accountability in
   Sri Lanka" following the country's decades-long armed conflict against the LTTE that ended in 2009.
   
2. India is likely to vote in favour of the resolution and therefore against Sri Lanka. The US, as the main sponsor of the resolution, will have to accept the amendments in consultation with other co-sponsors.
   
3. In 2012, a US-sponsored resolution saw 24 countries out of the 47 member countries voting against Sri Lanka. Fifteen countries voted against the resolution and 8 abstained. Sri Lanka itself is not a voting member but has observer status at the Human Rights Council. It asked for a vote, which was given to Cuba (which means the vote was cast in favour of Sri Lanka).
   
4. India had then asked for a key amendment that led to the addition of these words: "in consultation with and with the concurrence of the Government of Sri Lanka". This ruled out any coercive action from international monitors on Sri Lanka and helped preserve the island country's sovereignty. This line is missing from the draft of this year's resolution.
   
5. Sri Lanka does not recognise the resolution passed in 2012. Ambassador Ravinatha Aryasingha, the Permanent Representative of Sri Lanka to the UN in Geneva said Sri Lanka "rejects entirely the premise on which this resolution is based and as has been its consistent position, does not intend negotiating with the US on the text"