Lanka hits out at UN rights chief on abuse reports
Pillay used ‘unsubstantiated evidence’
GENEVA, Feb 28, (RTRS): Sri Lanka accused the UN human rights chief on Wednesday of being biased against it for criticising alleged killings of former Tamil Tiger independence fighters and political dissenters and journalists.
In a speech to the UN Human Rights Council, a senior official from Colombo also asserted that Western countries strongly critical of the country’s record had fallen prey to lies spread by former members of the Tamil Tiger movement.
UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Navi Pillay, the official said, lacked “objectivity and impartiality” in reports to the council and her comments on Sri Lanka were based on “unsubstantiated evidence.”
The official, presidential envoy on human rights Mahinda Samarasinghe, was speaking as the United States and European countries urged the 47-nation body to agree to instruct Sri Lanka to cease what they call rights abuses.
His sharp comments on Pillay, a former high court judge from South Africa, clearly reflected concern in Colombo - which is to host a summit of former British Commonwealth countries this year - at the prospect of fresh action by the council.
Non-governmental rights organisations, including a Geneva-based “rule of law” group, the International Commission of Jurists, are already campaigning for the 54nation Commonwealth to cancel the highprofile gathering.
Last March the council, which is separate from Pillay’s office, passed a resolution calling on Sri Lanka to ensure that government troops who committed war crimes near the end of the war against Tamil rebels were brought to justice.
That resolution was, like the latest now being prepared, brought by the United States and backed by a small majority of the council including India, Britain and other Commonwealth member countries as well as the 27-nation European Union.
Rights groups say the Sri Lankan military killed thousands of ethnic minority Tamil civilians in the shrinking territory held by rebels of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam just before their defeat in May 2009.