The UN Human Rights Council resolution on Sri Lanka is due to be put to a vote today (Tuesday 23). Although the vote took place yesterday, the Human Rights Council said it had been postponed to today due to administrative reasons.
This is the fifth resolution on Sri Lanka to be submitted to the UN Human Rights Council since the end of the war. The first resolution was put forward by Sri Lanka itself at the end of the war and Sri Lanka was able to win it. However, in the resolutions on Sri Lanka in 2012 and 2014, Sri Lanka suffered defeats. In 2015, the Government co-sponsored a resolution on Sri Lanka submitted by States, including the United States, making a strategic change in the Council’s response. The theme of this year’s resolution is ‘Reconciliation, Accountability and the Promotion of Human Rights in Sri Lanka’. The resolution was submitted to the Council by the United Kingdom, Canada, Malawi, Montenegro, Germany and Northern Macedonia.
The Government of Sri Lanka has stated that it has already confirmed the support of several Muslim countries, including China, Russia and Pakistan. Political analysts believe that Muslim leaders in Sri Lanka have been informing Muslim states about the persecution of Muslims, especially by the policies of the Sri Lankan government, and that the right to bury Muslims dying of Kovid was granted as a step towards gaining their support for the Geneva resolution. It is reported that the President and the Prime Minister had telephoned the leaders of the Muslim states yesterday as there was a risk of not getting the support of the Muslim states due to the actions taken by the government regarding the Muslims.
India supported a resolution against Sri Lanka in Geneva in 2012 and abstained in 2014. According to Indian media reports, India’s stance on this issue has been vague and political parties in Tamil Nadu have repeatedly asked the Indian government to oppose Sri Lanka in the resolution. The forthcoming Tamil Nadu state elections in particular are also likely to affect India’s position. However, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the Indian government have not yet stated their position and the Sri Lankan government believes that India will not support the resolution at this time. In the current political climate, India may abstain from voting, and India may not be able to take a pro-Sri Lanka stance.
Voting on this motion will be held at 2 pm Colombo time. It is reported that it will take place at 1.30 p.m.