Daily NEWS Srilanka

Minister Mahinda Samarasinghe has queried whether the Geneva Resolution is the reward given by the international community to Sri Lanka for ending the war.

Minister Samarasinghe, who is currently attending the 25th Sessions of the UN Human Rights Council made this query briefing the Asia-Pacific Regional Group of Members and Observer States at the UNHRC in Geneva. In light of the clear commitment shown by Sri Lanka to move towards comprehensive reconciliation in such a brief span of time, Minister Samarasinghe queried whether such a nation should be rewarded by Resolutions before the Human Rights Council.

He said other countries should understand and appreciate that this type of selective targeting was not only of concern to Sri Lanka but should be of wider concern to other states as well. He called upon Members of the Asia-Pacific Regional Group to make it their common objective to defeat such initiatives.

The Minister informed the Group about the progress achieved in Sri Lanka, not only during the immediate aftermath of the armed conflict in 2009 but during the ensuing 5-year period. Some of these included resettlement of displaced persons, reconstruction of infrastructure, restoration of civilian administration, restoration of democratic institutions in the former theatre of conflict and rehabilitation of ex-combatants in addition to the overall objective of generating economic growth and prosperity.

Minister Samarasinghe outlined the progress made with regard to reconciliation, especially with regard to the implementation of the National Plan of Action to Implement the LLRC recommendations as well as the National Action Plan for the Promotion and Protection of Human Rights.