TNA welcomes U.S. draft resolution

March 11, 2014 12:39 am | Updated May 23, 2016 04:32 pm IST - COLOMBO:

Welcoming the draft of the United States-sponsored resolution that seeks an international probe led by the High Commissioner for Human Rights, the Tamil National Alliance on Sunday said it looked forward to a resolution with stronger scope after revisions ahead of the voting day at the Human Rights Council in Geneva.

“We look forward to the co-sponsors effecting revisions to the draft over the following weeks that will clarify and strengthen the scope of the forthcoming investigation,” the TNA said in a statement signed by its leader R. Sampanthan and Northern Province Chief Minister C.V. Wigneswaran. The statement went on to say: “We will remain engaged with the international community to this end, and also to ensure that the outcome of the resolution will be overwhelmingly positive for all Sri Lankans, particularly for victims of grave abuses committed during and after the war.”

Observing that the passage of a resolution on the lines of the draft under consideration would be a significant next step by the Human Rights Council toward reconciliation and accountability in Sri Lanka, the TNA said it would continue to urge the international community to move expeditiously towards mandating an international commission of inquiry.

Citing concerns of the Tamil people, the TNA pointed to militarisation, increasing reports of sexual violence targeting Tamil women in the North and East, attempts to change the demographic composition of the Northern and Eastern provinces and debasing the cultural and linguistic identities of these areas.

0 / 0
Sign in to unlock member-only benefits!
  • Access 10 free stories every month
  • Save stories to read later
  • Access to comment on every story
  • Sign-up/manage your newsletter subscriptions with a single click
  • Get notified by email for early access to discounts & offers on our products
Sign in

Comments

Comments have to be in English, and in full sentences. They cannot be abusive or personal. Please abide by our community guidelines for posting your comments.

We have migrated to a new commenting platform. If you are already a registered user of The Hindu and logged in, you may continue to engage with our articles. If you do not have an account please register and login to post comments. Users can access their older comments by logging into their accounts on Vuukle.