INDEX
FOR TODAY'S BRIEFING-Sri Lanka
QUESTION: All
right. There’s one more on Sri Lanka I have.
MR. VENTRELL: Sure.
QUESTION: On
the resolution that you are putting up at the UN, is it different than the last?
How different is it from the last year’s resolution that the U.S. has put
in?
MR. VENTRELL: Well, we do intend
to, as I mentioned yesterday, sponsor resolution at the UN Human Rights Council
current session. It will build on the 2012 resolution, which called on Sri Lanka
to do more to promote reconciliation and accountability. The resolution will ask
the Government of Sri Lanka to follow through on its own commitments to its
people, including implementing the constructive recommendations from the report
by Sri Lanka’s Lessons Learnt and Reconciliation Commission. So that’s really
the content of the resolution and we’re cosponsoring – we’re sponsoring it and
support it.
AUDIO: LLRC RECOMMENDATIONS BEING IMPLEMENTED ‘SELECTIVELY’ – NAVI PILLAI While commending the Sri Lankan Government for the ‘physical’ reconciliation work in the North and resettlement of IDPs, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Navi Pillai said today that she remained concerned about the lack of ‘meaningful progress on accountability and reconciliation.’
Pillai added that, ‘although I support the
National Plan of Action for the implementation of the LLRC recommendations I do
this that this is being done selectively.’ She welcomed the engagement by the
Human Rights Council to monitor domestic processes especially regarding
accountability.
Excerpt of statement by Navi Pillai;
While clearly the Sri Lankan Government has invested in the
physical aspects of reconciliation and development in the North of the Island
including the resettlement of IDPs, all of which I welcome. I remain concerned
about the lack of meaningful progress on accountability and reconciliation.
Although I support the National Plan of Action for the implementation of the
LLRC recommendations I do this that this is being done selectively. So I welcome
the engagement by the Human Rights Council to monitor domestic processes
expecially regarding accountability. For some time the Sri Lankan Government has
been engaging with me and it is true that I have an invitation from them
extending for two years now. By mutual agreement we stayed the visit pending the
release of the LLRC report and pending the report from my technical mission and
I look forward to discussions with the Permanent (Sri Lankan) Mission here for
my further visit and hopefully also the visits of eight special rapporteurs who
have requested visits.
