Sandun A. Jayasekera
The Sri Lankan team to the United Nation’s Human Rights Council (UNHRC) prevented moves to bring in a resolution against Sri Lanka at the UNHRC annual session and the delegates of the member countries accepted Sri Lanka’s presentation that countered allegations, team member and Minister Nimal Siripala De Silva said.
Minister De Silva who returned from Geneva yesterday told the Daily Mirror that the Sri Lankan team was able to convince the 40 delegates of the UN member countries who participated in the UNHRC sessions that the UN nor the UNHRC had the right to debate or discuss the ‘Darusman report’ as it was a personal document prepared by a team appointed by UN Secretary General to advise him on Sri Lanka.
“We were able to convince the delegates that we would take legal and administrative action if there were attempts to discuss the ‘Darusman report’ at the UNHRC session. We pointed out that no one had the authority to refer this report which was a personal one for debate or discussion without the approval of the UN which they accepted,” Minister De Silva said.
Minister De Silva said the tough attitude of some delegates and Human Rights Commissioner Navaneethan Pillai was softened after the Sri Lankan team’s presentation which elaborated on the reconstruction and rehabilitation drive carried out by the government in the north.
DM