• Latest
  • Trending
Sri Lanka on alarming path towards recurrence of grave human rights violations

Clashing demands from Sri Lanka pose a serious challenge to UNHRC

January 19, 2021
Samsung unveiled its new Galaxy Z Flip 4 and Z Fold 4 phones on Aug 10, 2022. (Photo: Samsung)

5 things to know about Samsung’s new Galaxy Z Flip 4 and Galaxy Z Fold 4 foldable smartphones

August 11, 2022
Ceylon Electricity Board to introduce new billing methods

CEB will be able to supply power only for a month

August 11, 2022
Gotabaya Rajapaksa

Gotabaya Rajapaksa to return to Sri Lanka in 3 months as options run out

August 11, 2022
Covid-19 representational image. Fusion Medical Animation @fusion_medical_animation / Unsplash

Covid-19 deaths and cases update in Sri Lanka

August 11, 2022
Electricity

Power cut schedule today; Aug 11 in Sri Lanka

August 11, 2022
Gotabaya Rajapaksa addressing the nation

Sri Lanka government asks Thailand to grant entry to former president Gotabaya Rajapaksa

August 10, 2022
Vicissitudes of India-Sri Lanka strategic relations 

Vicissitudes of India-Sri Lanka strategic relations 

August 10, 2022
Bank of Thailand

Thailand hikes rate for first time since 2018 to tame hot inflation

August 10, 2022
Sri Lanka Customs

Message from Sri Lankan Customs for travellers arriving in Sri Lanka

August 10, 2022
President Gotabaya Rajapaksa

Gotabaya Rajapaksa expected to fly to Thailand

August 10, 2022
Lankan Prez praises army for protecting parliament and saving the constitution

Lankan Prez praises army for protecting parliament and saving the constitution

August 10, 2022
Image: WhatsApp

WhatsApp’s new update makes it easier to avoid your friends

August 9, 2022
  • About Us
  • Advertisements
  • Privacy Policy
  • Contact
Thursday, August 11, 2022
No Result
View All Result
NewsIn.Asia
  • Home
  • Around South Asia
    • All
    • Afghanistan
    • Bangladesh
    • Bhutan
    • China
    • India
    • Maldives
    • Myanmar
    • Nepal
    • Pakistan
    • Sri Lanka
    Ceylon Electricity Board to introduce new billing methods

    CEB will be able to supply power only for a month

    Gotabaya Rajapaksa

    Gotabaya Rajapaksa to return to Sri Lanka in 3 months as options run out

    Covid-19 representational image. Fusion Medical Animation @fusion_medical_animation / Unsplash

    Covid-19 deaths and cases update in Sri Lanka

    Electricity

    Power cut schedule today; Aug 11 in Sri Lanka

    Gotabaya Rajapaksa addressing the nation

    Sri Lanka government asks Thailand to grant entry to former president Gotabaya Rajapaksa

    Vicissitudes of India-Sri Lanka strategic relations 

    Vicissitudes of India-Sri Lanka strategic relations 

    Bank of Thailand

    Thailand hikes rate for first time since 2018 to tame hot inflation

    Sri Lanka Customs

    Message from Sri Lankan Customs for travellers arriving in Sri Lanka

    President Gotabaya Rajapaksa

    Gotabaya Rajapaksa expected to fly to Thailand

  • World
    • All
    • Japan
    • Russia
    • United Kingdom
    • United States
    Bank of Thailand

    Thailand hikes rate for first time since 2018 to tame hot inflation

    Image: WhatsApp

    WhatsApp’s new update makes it easier to avoid your friends

    Tik Tok

    The top TikTok trends to try this week

    Snapchat. Image credits - May Gauthier @maygauthier / Unsplash

    Snap launches tools for parents to monitor teens’ contacts

    FILE PHOTO: A 3D printed Google logo is seen in this illustration taken April 12, 2020. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration/File Photo

    Thousands of users around the world report Google outage

    Beijing deployed fighter jets, warships and ballistic missiles in what analysts have described as practice for a blockade of Taiwan. (Photo: AFP file)

    China continues military drills around Taiwan

    China’s rise shapes US Foreign Policy:  Noam Chomsky Says

    China’s rise shapes US Foreign Policy:  Noam Chomsky Says

    Wickremesinghe reiterates Sri Lanka’s commitment to the One-China policy

    Wickremesinghe reiterates Sri Lanka’s commitment to the One-China policy

    Similarities and differences between the Taiwan and Ukraine crises

    Similarities and differences between the Taiwan and Ukraine crises

  • Business
  • Politics
  • Sports
  • Entertainment
    • All
    • Books
    • Gaming
    • Movie
    • Music
    • Series
    Marvel has unleashed the first look teaser of Black Panther 2.

    Black Panther Wakanda Forever: Marvel pays emotional tribute to Chadwick Boseman

    Stranger Things

    Netflix confirms ‘Stranger Things’ spinoff and play

    Kamal Haasan's Vikram is on a rampage.

    Kamal Haasan’s Vikram is the highest-grossing film in Singapore, UK and UAE

    Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone

    ‘Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone’ celebrates 25 magical years

    Salman Khan

    Plot to kill Bollywood actor Salman Khan revealed

    Shah Rukh Khan's Jawaan, to be directed by Atlee, to scheduled for June 2023 release. (Photo: Twitter)

    Shah Rukh Khan announces new film ‘Jawaan’

    Chchutir diner Gaan by Bangladeshi singer Nondita

    Chchutir diner Gaan by Bangladeshi singer Nondita

    Song “Bechain Nazar Betaab Jigar”. Talat Mahmood. Film “Yasmin” 1955

    Song “Bechain Nazar Betaab Jigar”. Talat Mahmood. Film “Yasmin” 1955

    ‘KGF Chapter 2’

    ‘KGF Chapter 2’ becomes 3rd-highest-grossing Hindi film

  • Lifestyle
    • All
    • Fashion
    • Food
    • Health
    • Science
    • Travel
    Cheeseburger. Image credits - Alamy / BBC

    McDonald’s puts up price of cheeseburger for first time in 14 years

    WHO declares rapidly spreading monkeypox outbreak a global health emergency

    WHO declares rapidly spreading monkeypox outbreak a global health emergency

    Sushmita Sen. Image credits - Getty Images

    Sushmita Sen: Why ‘gold digger’ jibe caused outrage

    Honey. Image credits - Mariana Ibanez / Unsplash

    7 unique health benefits of honey

    alcohol

    Alcohol is never healthy for people under 40, study finds

    world’s happiest countries in 2022

    List of world’s happiest countries in 2022

    Emirates

    Emirates statement on operations at London Heathrow

    The main aim of the team is to enable them to collect microplastics in deeper water and provide information to analyse marine pollution in real time. (File Pic)

    Chinese scientists develop robot fish that gobble up microplastics

    Bicycle. Image credits - Febiyan @febiyanr / Unsplash

    10 essential biking rules every cyclist should know

    Luggage. Image credits - Caroline Selfors @cselfors / Unsplash

    London’s Heathrow tells airlines to stop ticket sales as it caps passengers

    Trending Tags

    • Golden Globes
    • Mr. Robot
    • MotoGP 2017
    • Climate Change
    • Flat Earth
  • Tech
    Samsung unveiled its new Galaxy Z Flip 4 and Z Fold 4 phones on Aug 10, 2022. (Photo: Samsung)

    5 things to know about Samsung’s new Galaxy Z Flip 4 and Galaxy Z Fold 4 foldable smartphones

    Image: WhatsApp

    WhatsApp’s new update makes it easier to avoid your friends

    Snapchat. Image credits - May Gauthier @maygauthier / Unsplash

    Snap launches tools for parents to monitor teens’ contacts

    FILE PHOTO: A 3D printed Google logo is seen in this illustration taken April 12, 2020. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration/File Photo

    Thousands of users around the world report Google outage

    After buying Twitter, Elon Musk has now said he will buy Coca-Cola to put the 'cocaine' back in.

    Starlink: Why is Elon Musk launching thousands of satellites?

    Elon Musk offers to buy Twitter for $41 billion

    Twitter sues Elon Musk over $44 billion contract breach

    Trending Tags

    • Sillicon Valley
    • Climate Change
    • Election Results
    • Flat Earth
    • Golden Globes
    • MotoGP 2017
    • Mr. Robot
  • Coronavirus
  • Videos
  • Home
  • Around South Asia
    • All
    • Afghanistan
    • Bangladesh
    • Bhutan
    • China
    • India
    • Maldives
    • Myanmar
    • Nepal
    • Pakistan
    • Sri Lanka
    Ceylon Electricity Board to introduce new billing methods

    CEB will be able to supply power only for a month

    Gotabaya Rajapaksa

    Gotabaya Rajapaksa to return to Sri Lanka in 3 months as options run out

    Covid-19 representational image. Fusion Medical Animation @fusion_medical_animation / Unsplash

    Covid-19 deaths and cases update in Sri Lanka

    Electricity

    Power cut schedule today; Aug 11 in Sri Lanka

    Gotabaya Rajapaksa addressing the nation

    Sri Lanka government asks Thailand to grant entry to former president Gotabaya Rajapaksa

    Vicissitudes of India-Sri Lanka strategic relations 

    Vicissitudes of India-Sri Lanka strategic relations 

    Bank of Thailand

    Thailand hikes rate for first time since 2018 to tame hot inflation

    Sri Lanka Customs

    Message from Sri Lankan Customs for travellers arriving in Sri Lanka

    President Gotabaya Rajapaksa

    Gotabaya Rajapaksa expected to fly to Thailand

  • World
    • All
    • Japan
    • Russia
    • United Kingdom
    • United States
    Bank of Thailand

    Thailand hikes rate for first time since 2018 to tame hot inflation

    Image: WhatsApp

    WhatsApp’s new update makes it easier to avoid your friends

    Tik Tok

    The top TikTok trends to try this week

    Snapchat. Image credits - May Gauthier @maygauthier / Unsplash

    Snap launches tools for parents to monitor teens’ contacts

    FILE PHOTO: A 3D printed Google logo is seen in this illustration taken April 12, 2020. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration/File Photo

    Thousands of users around the world report Google outage

    Beijing deployed fighter jets, warships and ballistic missiles in what analysts have described as practice for a blockade of Taiwan. (Photo: AFP file)

    China continues military drills around Taiwan

    China’s rise shapes US Foreign Policy:  Noam Chomsky Says

    China’s rise shapes US Foreign Policy:  Noam Chomsky Says

    Wickremesinghe reiterates Sri Lanka’s commitment to the One-China policy

    Wickremesinghe reiterates Sri Lanka’s commitment to the One-China policy

    Similarities and differences between the Taiwan and Ukraine crises

    Similarities and differences between the Taiwan and Ukraine crises

  • Business
  • Politics
  • Sports
  • Entertainment
    • All
    • Books
    • Gaming
    • Movie
    • Music
    • Series
    Marvel has unleashed the first look teaser of Black Panther 2.

    Black Panther Wakanda Forever: Marvel pays emotional tribute to Chadwick Boseman

    Stranger Things

    Netflix confirms ‘Stranger Things’ spinoff and play

    Kamal Haasan's Vikram is on a rampage.

    Kamal Haasan’s Vikram is the highest-grossing film in Singapore, UK and UAE

    Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone

    ‘Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone’ celebrates 25 magical years

    Salman Khan

    Plot to kill Bollywood actor Salman Khan revealed

    Shah Rukh Khan's Jawaan, to be directed by Atlee, to scheduled for June 2023 release. (Photo: Twitter)

    Shah Rukh Khan announces new film ‘Jawaan’

    Chchutir diner Gaan by Bangladeshi singer Nondita

    Chchutir diner Gaan by Bangladeshi singer Nondita

    Song “Bechain Nazar Betaab Jigar”. Talat Mahmood. Film “Yasmin” 1955

    Song “Bechain Nazar Betaab Jigar”. Talat Mahmood. Film “Yasmin” 1955

    ‘KGF Chapter 2’

    ‘KGF Chapter 2’ becomes 3rd-highest-grossing Hindi film

  • Lifestyle
    • All
    • Fashion
    • Food
    • Health
    • Science
    • Travel
    Cheeseburger. Image credits - Alamy / BBC

    McDonald’s puts up price of cheeseburger for first time in 14 years

    WHO declares rapidly spreading monkeypox outbreak a global health emergency

    WHO declares rapidly spreading monkeypox outbreak a global health emergency

    Sushmita Sen. Image credits - Getty Images

    Sushmita Sen: Why ‘gold digger’ jibe caused outrage

    Honey. Image credits - Mariana Ibanez / Unsplash

    7 unique health benefits of honey

    alcohol

    Alcohol is never healthy for people under 40, study finds

    world’s happiest countries in 2022

    List of world’s happiest countries in 2022

    Emirates

    Emirates statement on operations at London Heathrow

    The main aim of the team is to enable them to collect microplastics in deeper water and provide information to analyse marine pollution in real time. (File Pic)

    Chinese scientists develop robot fish that gobble up microplastics

    Bicycle. Image credits - Febiyan @febiyanr / Unsplash

    10 essential biking rules every cyclist should know

    Luggage. Image credits - Caroline Selfors @cselfors / Unsplash

    London’s Heathrow tells airlines to stop ticket sales as it caps passengers

    Trending Tags

    • Golden Globes
    • Mr. Robot
    • MotoGP 2017
    • Climate Change
    • Flat Earth
  • Tech
    Samsung unveiled its new Galaxy Z Flip 4 and Z Fold 4 phones on Aug 10, 2022. (Photo: Samsung)

    5 things to know about Samsung’s new Galaxy Z Flip 4 and Galaxy Z Fold 4 foldable smartphones

    Image: WhatsApp

    WhatsApp’s new update makes it easier to avoid your friends

    Snapchat. Image credits - May Gauthier @maygauthier / Unsplash

    Snap launches tools for parents to monitor teens’ contacts

    FILE PHOTO: A 3D printed Google logo is seen in this illustration taken April 12, 2020. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration/File Photo

    Thousands of users around the world report Google outage

    After buying Twitter, Elon Musk has now said he will buy Coca-Cola to put the 'cocaine' back in.

    Starlink: Why is Elon Musk launching thousands of satellites?

    Elon Musk offers to buy Twitter for $41 billion

    Twitter sues Elon Musk over $44 billion contract breach

    Trending Tags

    • Sillicon Valley
    • Climate Change
    • Election Results
    • Flat Earth
    • Golden Globes
    • MotoGP 2017
    • Mr. Robot
  • Coronavirus
  • Videos
NewsIn.Asia
No Result
View All Result
Home Diplomacy

Clashing demands from Sri Lanka pose a serious challenge to UNHRC

Editor by Editor
January 19, 2021
in Diplomacy, Ethnicity, Governance, Human Rights, Recommend, Sri Lanka, United Nations
Reading Time: 5 mins read
14 0
A A
Sri Lanka on alarming path towards recurrence of grave human rights violations

Sri Lanka on alarming path towards recurrence of grave human rights violations

34
SHARES
Share on WhatsApp

By P.K.Balachandran/Daily Mirror  

Colombo, January 19: In the run-up to the March session of the UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC), Sri Lankan Tamil parties and civil society groups have jointly presented a radical set of demands. On its part, the Sri Lankan government has resolved to stick to its stand that there is no room for any kind of foreign interference in what it considers to be an internal matter to be resolved through indigenously developed mechanisms.

Eleven Tamil political parties and civil society organizations had written to the 47 countries in the UNHRC urging them to accept their demands. They have demanded that other organs of the UN, including the UN Security Council and the UN General Assembly, take up the Lankan Tamil question and refer it to the International Criminal Court (ICC) or any other appropriate and effective international accountability mechanisms to inquire into the crime of “genocide, war crimes and crimes against humanity,” allegedly committed by the Sri Lankan armed forces in the last phase of the 2006-2009 Eelam War IV. They have demanded that the members of the UNHRC mandate the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) to continue to monitor Sri Lanka for ongoing violations and have an OHCHR field office in the island. Further, the Tamils have demanded that the UN take steps to establish an evidence gathering mechanism similar to the International Independent Investigatory Mechanism (IIIM) in relation to Syria established as a subsidiary body of the UN General Assembly with a strict time frame of twelve months duration.

ADVERTISEMENT

The signatories to the letter dated January 15, 2021 were: R. Sampanthan, Leader, Tamil National Alliance (TNA), G.G. Ponnambalam, Leader, Tamil National People’s Front, Justice C.V. Wigneswaran, Leader, Tamil Makkal Tesiya Kootani, Rev. Fr. Leo Armstrong, Tamil Heritage Forum, Mullaitivu, Sabharathinam Sivayhoyanathan, Eastern Province Civil Society Forum, Rasalingam Vikneswaran, Amparai Civil Society Forum, Amarasingham Gajenthiran, Tamil Civil Society Forum, Yogarasa Kanagaranjini, Association of Relatives of the Enforced Disappearances North and East, Subramaniam Sivaharan, Tamil Thesiya Vaalvurimai Iyakkam, Velan Swamikal, Sivaguru Aatheenam and Rt. Rev. Dr C. Noel Emmanuel, Bishop of Trincomalee.

Colombo’s Reaction 

Reacting to this, a top functionary in the Sri Lankan government  warned that the radicalization of the Tamils’ demands to this degree would only exacerbate ethnic differences and prevent reconciliation, which is the stated goal of all parties including the UNHRC.    

“These demands will only harden the stand of the majority community, whose views no democratic country can ignore. It’s time the Tamils realized this and accepted the thesis that the liberation of all Sri Lankans, irrespective of ethnic or other identities, lies in economic development on an equitable basis,” the official said.         

The Gotabaya Rajapaksa government is unfazed by the Tamil demands and the possibility of Western nations’ taking a hostile stance at the March session. Asked if the Biden Administration, which will be in place at the time of the UNHRC session, will pursue the Obama Administration line on human rights, the Lankan official said: “The US has to first put its house in order, restore democracy, instill in its population and leaders respect for the law and the constitution and curb racism. The Biden Administration will be busy doing precisely this.”

On its part, the Gotabaya Rajapaksa government has already declared that it will not co-sponsor any resolution against itself. According to the media, this position was reiterated recently, when the UNHRC invited it to co-sponsor the resolution to be presented in the March session.

Given the irreconcilable positions the government and the Tamils, the council will find it very challenging to present a generally acceptable resolution. Both the Tamils and the government will be straining every nerve to garner support for their respective stands.

The contents of the new resolution will have to take into account: the Tamils’ new and radical demands; new issues like the burial of Muslims who had died of COVID; and of course, Colombo’s contention that the Tamil or the Muslim issue is a domestic one, to be solved internally in Sri Lanka without outside interference.

Critical Role of Diaspora

The Sri Lankan Tamil issue has been complicated not only by the involvement of foreign governments and international organizations but also by the Tamil Diaspora. It is the Diaspora which is leading the Lankan Tamils, setting the agenda for them, and funding activities in the island to implement the agenda.

A senor journalist and writer who had earlier been part of the Tamil liberation movement, said that the Diaspora’s power over the resident Tamils in Sri Lanka rests on several planks: It funds (in millions) political parties and individual political leaders. It sends money to Tamil families to enable them to live in reasonable comfort in North and East Sri Lanka. It funds charitable, educational and social welfare activities in the war-affected parts of the North and East. Given this situation, the Tamils in the island feel duty-bound to go by the Diaspora’s requests to support this or that cause or candidate.

The Diaspora also gives voice to their demands – demands they cannot voice in Sri Lanka itself for fear of being proceeded against by the law enforcement agencies. The Diaspora gives voice to their sentiments, anger and demands through over 500 social media outlets and websites. Many sites go overboard doing so. But they are safe in sanctuaries overseas. Colombo can do nothing about it partly because foreign democratic governments allow such dissent. And, as President Gotabaya Rajapaksa and Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa have pointed out many times, foreign governments do not respond to requests for information even on “missing” persons about whom their own families had wanted information.

Govt’s Stand Hardens

The blame for the Tamils’ parties’ radicalization cannot be laid at the door of the Diaspora, entirely. The Lankan government’s stance on the demands of the Tamils has also hardened, especially after the Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) proved in the November 2019 Presidential and the August 2020 parliamentary elections, that a nationalist Sinhala-Buddhist party it can win comfortably without the support of the Tamil and Muslim minorities.

In this scenario, it is not surprising that there is a demand, at least in a section of the government, that the 13 th.Amendment (13A) devolving powers to elected Provincial Councils should be repealed or substantially amended to bring about greater central control. There is also a demand that elections to the Provincial Councils need not be held, or that elections should be postponed indefinitely, as the provinces are being run pretty well by bureaucrats for the past three years. The entire provincial administrative structure is seen as a White Elephant by the elite.

The Tamils on the other hand, want greater powers for the councils and have appealed to India, the creator of the 13A, to see that Colombo does not deviate from the path set by the India-Lanka Accord of 1987. Indian Foreign Minister S.Jaishankar air-dashed to Colombo earlier this month to press President Gotabaya Rajapaksa to abide by the Accord and the 13A, for the sake of ethnic reconciliation and in “Sri Lanka’s own interest.”  

END

Tags: Economic DevelopmentResolutionUNHRC

Related Posts

Ceylon Electricity Board to introduce new billing methods
Around South Asia

CEB will be able to supply power only for a month

August 11, 2022
Gotabaya Rajapaksa
Around South Asia

Gotabaya Rajapaksa to return to Sri Lanka in 3 months as options run out

August 11, 2022
Covid-19 representational image. Fusion Medical Animation @fusion_medical_animation / Unsplash
Around South Asia

Covid-19 deaths and cases update in Sri Lanka

August 11, 2022
Electricity
Around South Asia

Power cut schedule today; Aug 11 in Sri Lanka

August 11, 2022
Gotabaya Rajapaksa addressing the nation
Around South Asia

Sri Lanka government asks Thailand to grant entry to former president Gotabaya Rajapaksa

August 10, 2022
Vicissitudes of India-Sri Lanka strategic relations 
China

Vicissitudes of India-Sri Lanka strategic relations 

August 10, 2022
  • Electricity

    Power cut schedule today; Aug 11 in Sri Lanka

    48949 shares
    Share 19593 Tweet 12232
  • Registration open for National Fuel Pass

    6541 shares
    Share 2654 Tweet 1620
  • Foreign Exchange Rates from Central Bank of Sri Lanka; USD, GBP, EUR, SGD, CAD

    1352 shares
    Share 547 Tweet 335
  • WATCH : Yohani’s first live performance in India

    785 shares
    Share 327 Tweet 191
  • Power interruption schedule released: Check your area power cut time

    734 shares
    Share 312 Tweet 176
  • About Us
  • Advertisements
  • Privacy Policy
  • Contact

© 2022 All rights reserved.

No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • Around South Asia
    • Afghanistan
    • Bangladesh
    • Bhutan
    • China
    • India
    • Maldives
    • Myanmar
    • Nepal
    • Pakistan
    • Sri Lanka
  • Around The World
  • Breaking News
  • Business
    • Exchange
  • Climate Change
  • Governance
    • Crime
    • Diplomacy
    • Defense
    • Human Rights
    • Politics
    • Strategic Affairs
  • Lifestyle
    • Books
    • Entertainment
      • Arts
      • Cinema
      • Gaming
      • Music
      • Movie
      • Series
      • TV
    • Health
    • Fashion
    • Food
    • Travel
  • Culture
    • Ethnicity
    • Gender
  • Development news
  • Economy
  • Education
  • Environment
  • Coronavirus
  • History
  • National
  • Offbeat
    • Media
    • Music and arts across South Asia
  • Recommended
    • Headlines
    • Highlights
    • Top Picture
    • Top Story
  • Religion
  • Science
  • Sports
    • Football
    • Cricket
      • LPL
      • IPL
    • Tennis
    • Formula 1
    • NBA
  • Tech
    • Instagram
  • United Nations
  • Weather
  • World
    • Japan
    • Russia
    • United States
  • Videos

© 2022 All rights reserved.

Welcome Back!

Login to your account below

Forgotten Password? Sign Up

Create New Account!

Fill the forms below to register

All fields are required. Log In

Retrieve your password

Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

Log In

Add New Playlist

mersin eskort -

Meritroyalbet

-
Jojobet
- Süperbetin - eskisehir escort -

https://www.vudols.com/

- Sağlık Personeli - istanbul avukat