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GENEVA / HRC-SRI LANKA
STORY: GENEVA / HRC-SRI LANKA
TRT: 3.53
SOURCE: CH UNTV
RESTRICTIONS: NONE
LANGUAGE: ENGLISH / NATS
DATELINE: 21 MARCH 2013, UNITED NATIONS GENEVA HEADQUARTERS
FILE – RECENT, UNITED NATIONS HEADQUARTERS
1. Wide shot, United Nations Geneva Headquarters, Palais des Nations
2. Pan down, ceiling painting to delegates, Human Rights Council Conference Room, Palais des Nations
21 MARCH 2013, GENEVA
3. SOUNDBITE (ENGLISH), Eileen Donahoe, United States Ambassador to the United Nations in Geneva:
“Through this resolution, we encourage the government of Sri Lanka to implement the constructive recommendations of the Lessons Learnt and Reconciliation Commission (LLRC) and the recommendations in the High Commissioner’s report, to take additional measures to fulfill its obligations and commitments on accountability and reconciliation, and to address concerns on issues of the rule of law and human rights in Sri Lanka. The United States stands ready to assist with this vital work.”
4. Cutaway, Sri Lanka delegation
5. SOUNDBITE (ENGLISH), Eileen Donahoe, United States Ambassador to the United Nations in Geneva:
“Sri Lanka must take meaningful action on reconciliation and accountability and address the growing concerns over the deteriorating human rights situation.”
6. Cutaway, Indian delegation
7. SOUNDBITE (ENGLISH), Mahinda Samarasinghe, Sri Lankan Minister of Plantation Industries:
“I must stress that those genuinely concerned about the future wellbeing of the people of Sri Lanka, should encourage the country in its ongoing reconciliation process, rather than single it out for disproportionate attention of this Council.”
8. Cutaway, US delegation
9. SOUNDBITE (ENGLISH), Mahinda Samarasinghe, Sri Lankan Minister of Plantation Industries:
“I must point out that the Sri Lankan conflict ended 3 years and 10 months ago. There are other ongoing conflicts and reported violations of rights as we speak, in several other parts of the world. Our concern is: why this preoccupation with Sri Lanka?”
10. Cutaway, United Arab Emirates delegation
11. SOUNDBITE (ENGLISH), Mahinda Samarasinghe, Sri Lankan Minister of Plantation Industries:
“Firstly the preambular part of the text, we believe, is highly intrusive, is replete with misrepresentations and, in its overall scope, accentuates the negative and eliminates or is dismissive of, the positive. It also casts aspersions upon domestic processes that are ongoing, without any foundation.”
12. Cutaway, Sri Lankan delegation and other delegates
13. SOUNDBITE (ENGLISH) Dilip Sinha, India’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations in Geneva:
“We reiterate our call for an independent and credible investigation into allegations of human rights violations and loss of civilian lives. We urge Sri Lanka to take forward measures to ensure accountability. We expect these measures to be to the satisfaction of the international community.”
14. Cutaway, delegates
15. SOUNDBITE (ENGLISH), Zamir Akram, Pakistan’s Ambassador to Switzerland:
“Sri Lanka needs to be given the time and the space to address those challenges in a comprehensive manner by completing its domestic reconciliation process. What it does not need is to be subjected to highly critical and intrusive decisions by this council.”
16. Cutaway, Qatar delegation
17. SOUNDBITE (ENGLISH), Zamir Akram, Pakistan’s Ambassador to Switzerland:
“It is therefore the considered view of my delegation that a draft resolution which bases itself on a report whose credibility is so blatantly questioned by many including the country concerned, cannot be conceived by this august body as being a reasonable basis for further engagement of that country in a constructive manner.”
18. Various, shot of the monitor displaying results from the vote
19. SOUNDBITE (ENGLISH), Remigiusz Achilles Henczel, President of the Human Rights Council: “The results of the recorded votes, are as follows: 25 in favour, 13 against, 8 abstentions. Draft Proposal L.1/Rev.1, is therefore adopted.”
20. Cutaway, delegations of Argentina, United Arab Emirates, and Cote d’ivoire
The UN Human Rights Council on Thursday adopted a US-sponsored resolution on human rights violation in Sri Lanka with 25 countries voting in favour in the 47-nation strong body. The resolution is highly critical of Sri Lanka's record and encourages Sri Lanka to conduct an independent and credible investigation into alleged war crimes.
While 25 countries including India voted in favour of the resolution, 13 countries voted against it and eight countries abstained from voting.
Speaking at the UNHRC debate, the Sri Lankan envoy, Mahinda Samarasinghe, Sri Lankan Minister of Plantation Industries said the US resolution was “clearly unacceptable.”
He asked: “why this preoccupation with Sri Lanka, why this inordinate and disproportionate level of interest in a country that has successfully ended a 30-year conflict against terrorism and has demonstrated so much progress in a relatively short space of time?”
US ambassador Eileen Chamberlain Donahoe told the meeting that “Sri Lanka must take meaningful action on reconciliation and accountability and address growing concerns over the deteriorating human rights situation.”
Tens of thousands of civilians were killed in the final months of a war that began in 1983 as government troops advanced on the last stronghold of the Tamil Tiger rebels fighting for an independent homeland, a UN panel has said.
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