Kiriella urges govt. to prevent UK moving resolution at UNHRC against Sri Lanka in March

By Saman Indrajith

Chief Opposition Whip Kandy District MP Lakshman Kiriella yesterday called on the government to take action to prevent the United Kingdom from moving a UN resolution against the country next March.

During the third reading debate yesterday, the MP said that he had warned about the present situation the previous day in the House. “During the committee stage debate on the financial vote on the Ministry of Foreign Affairs I warned the government. I recalled that former President Mahinda Rajapaksa promised former UN General Secretary Ban ki-moon an internal war crimes probe. Since the Rajapaksa government did not implement the promise we, under the yahaplana government, agreed to conduct an internal investigation. Later, the incumbent government withdrew from the UNHRC resolution.. I told you that this situation would not be beneficial to the country. Now the UK parliament has passed a motion to submit a resolution against Sri Lanka at the UN Human Rights Council because Sri Lanka withdrew from its commitment. It was announced in the UK parliament on Wednesday that they would submit it in coming March.

If the UK moves that resolution the country will have another problem to contend with. We would be pushed back to the pre-2015 situation. Three resolutions hadve been passed against us. We were on the verge of facing economic sanctions in 2015. This is a serious matter. You should act fast to remedy this latest problem.”