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Sunday, March 25, 2012

‘Sri Lanka must seek public vote over UN vote’

Colombo: Sri Lanka must put the question of the UN resolution against it before people, a constituent partner of the ruling coalition, United People's Freedom Alliance (UPFA) said on Sunday. Wimal Weerawansa the minister of housing and the leader of the nationalist National Freedom Front (NFF) told reporters that the government cannot face the problem alone.

"We must get people involved in this. We must face this together to fight than surrendering. If not they (West) will say that people are not with the government", Weerawansa said.

He was not clear if he had meant a snap election or the question needs to be put to a referendum.

Sri Lanka was stung by the defeat at the UN Human Rights Council where a US sponsored resolution was carried against the island.

The Western block of nations mostly backed US alongside India while China, Russia and Cuba were in the forefront of Sri Lankan support.

The resolution commits Sri Lanka to expeditiously implement the recommendations of the Lessons Learnt and Reconciliation Commission (LLRC).

It has been branded action by the West at the behest of the pro-LTTE diaspora to undermine Sri Lanka. Weerawansa last week called for the boycott of US brand names including rejecting to use Google mail as protest against US.

PTI