Mahinda dropped

By Sulochana Ramiah Mohan-2013-02-21 President Mahinda Rajapaksa's special envoy on human rights, Minister Mahinda Samarasinghe, who served in that capacity for well over half a decade, has been dropped from the list of delegates attending the UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC) sessions in Geneva next month. However, a high profile delegation comprising senior officials from the Ministry of External Affairs and the Attorney General's Department, along with Sri Lanka's Permanent Representative to the United Nations in Geneva, Ambassador Ravinatha Aryasinha, will be present in Geneva. Minister Samarasinghe's removal from the list has come as a result of a directive from the President, it has been revealed. Minister Samarasinghe confirmed to Ceylon Today that he is not participating in the UNHRC sessions this time and refused to comment further. The Ministry of External Affairs pointed out that Minister Samarasinghe, or for that matter, none of the government ministers are participating in the forthcoming sessions in Geneva. The ministry declined to comment whether Minister Samarasinghe is permanently removed from the post as the President's special envoy on human rights. When contacted, spokesperson for the Ministry of External Affairs, Rodney Perera, told Ceylon Today, the government will decide today whether Prof. G.L. Peiris will participate or not. He added the persons representing the government in Geneva will be finalized today. Regarding the proposed US resolution on Sri Lanka, the ministry spokesperson said, "We are holding another round of diplomatic briefing with the mission heads in Sri Lanka today. It is on the regular basis but we are keeping them informed about the country's progress." He also said that even though the government is hoping to win more countries to vote for Sri Lanka, they will have to 'wait to see' what the US resolution on Sri Lanka is all about. "We want the nations that voted for us last year and the other nations too, to support us this time as well and that is why we are briefing the heads of missions in Sri Lanka on a regular basis." He also said the Sri Lankan foreign missions are also working hard to promote Sri Lanka in the countries they are stationed. When asked whether it would be tough and more challenging this time for Sri Lanka compared with last year UNHRC review session, Perera said, "It's not about tough challenges that we would be facing there, but we reiterate that we still maintain and hold on to what we have been telling the international community so far and that is what will be taken for discussion in Geneva next month." Sri Lanka sends only 10 officials to Geneva America is seriously functioning in the efforts  of implementing another resolution against Sri Lanka at Geneva and  Sri Lanka has taken decision  to evade the situation of not giving much  importance to this sessions is according to information.   In a state of not able to avert from international crisis, or to overcome the recommendations, Sri Lanka has decided to send a delegate panel consisting 10 officials only to Geneva.     Sri lanka High Commissioner for Geneva Ravinath Ariyasinghe will lead the Sri Lanka delegates panel.    To counteract the resolution brought against Sri Lanka last year, a panel of 100 and more delegates including Ministers was sent to Geneva to carry out aggressive campaigns, however those efforts turned futile.   Hence this year it has come to the conclusion that it cannot accomplish success with America, hence Sri lanka government had decided of not giving much importance to the Geneva sessions which would be held on the forthcoming Monday Thursday , 21 February 2013