Geneva/ New Delhi:
The UN Human Rights Council has begun voting on the US-backed resolution against Sri Lanka in Geneva today. Sources have told NDTV that India will move an amendment to the resolution calling for a "Credible and independent investigation which is acceptable to the international community."
Here’s your 5-point guide on the resolution:
The resolution is sponsored by the US and aims at "promoting reconciliation and accountability in Sri Lanka" following the country's decades-long armed conflict against the LTTE that ended in 2009.
India is likely to vote in favour of the resolution and therefore against Sri Lanka. The US, as the main sponsor of the resolution, will have to accept the amendments in consultation with other co-sponsors.
In 2012, a US-sponsored resolution saw 24 countries out of the 47 member countries voting against Sri Lanka. Fifteen countries voted against the resolution and 8 abstained. Sri Lanka itself is not a voting member but has observer status at the Human Rights Council. It asked for a vote, which was given to Cuba (which means the vote was cast in favour of Sri Lanka).
India had then asked for a key amendment that led to the addition of these words: "in consultation with and with the concurrence of the Government of Sri Lanka". This ruled out any coercive action from international monitors on Sri Lanka and helped preserve the island country's sovereignty. This line is missing from the draft of this year's resolution.
Sri Lanka does not recognise the resolution passed in 2012. Ambassador Ravinatha Aryasingha, the Permanent Representative of Sri Lanka to the UN in Geneva said Sri Lanka "rejects entirely the premise on which this resolution is based and as has been its consistent position, does not intend negotiating with the US on the text".
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