Making an official statement of the Government, with regard to the UNHRC resolution Minister of External Affairs Prof.G.L.Peiris said that said Sri Lanka would not allow any foreign intervention at any time. Speaking in Parliament today, he said Sri Lanka’s stand on the issue was consistent right throughout.
The Minister said his views are official views of the government. This was in response to a query raised by the opposition whether his views are accepted by the government.
He also said that collective commitments forced 11 nations to vote in favour of the resolution on Sri Lanka at the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva
though they were against it individually. Professor Peiris who was speaking during the debate on six financial Bills in the House, said some nations within the European Union were included in this list of countries that were personally against the resolution.
He said a representative from a European country at the sessions in Geneva had personally informed him that his country is individually against the resolution but would be compelled to vote in favour as it is the common stand of the European Union.
The Minister who criticized the UN Human Rights Council said a negative view on it is emerging currently. He said even members of US congress hold the view that the Human Rights Council is politicized. Professor Peiris said countries such as Israel had taken a hard line on UNHRC and had openly stated that it had terminated all engagements with UNHRC and would not allow any official from it to visit that country.
UNP MP Dayasiri Jayasekera who joined the debate later raised a question to this effect pointing out that there are contradictions in the statements that are made by the Ministers. He was referring to a statement that have been made by Minister Lakshman Yapa Abeywardene that the views aired by Minister Peiris on the Geneva issue are not the official views of the government.(Yohan Perera)
DM
The Minister said his views are official views of the government. This was in response to a query raised by the opposition whether his views are accepted by the government.
He also said that collective commitments forced 11 nations to vote in favour of the resolution on Sri Lanka at the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva
though they were against it individually. Professor Peiris who was speaking during the debate on six financial Bills in the House, said some nations within the European Union were included in this list of countries that were personally against the resolution.
He said a representative from a European country at the sessions in Geneva had personally informed him that his country is individually against the resolution but would be compelled to vote in favour as it is the common stand of the European Union.
The Minister who criticized the UN Human Rights Council said a negative view on it is emerging currently. He said even members of US congress hold the view that the Human Rights Council is politicized. Professor Peiris said countries such as Israel had taken a hard line on UNHRC and had openly stated that it had terminated all engagements with UNHRC and would not allow any official from it to visit that country.
UNP MP Dayasiri Jayasekera who joined the debate later raised a question to this effect pointing out that there are contradictions in the statements that are made by the Ministers. He was referring to a statement that have been made by Minister Lakshman Yapa Abeywardene that the views aired by Minister Peiris on the Geneva issue are not the official views of the government.(Yohan Perera)
DM