The Sri Lankan government has decided to reject the report compiled by the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Michelle Bachelet on the deterioration of human rights in Sri Lanka, Energy Minister Minister Udaya Gammanpila said.
He noted that Sri Lanka’s response to the report, which has already been submitted in writing, will be made public when Foreign Relations Minister Dinesh Gunawardena addresses the UN Human Rights Council.
The government decided to reject the report as it has been prepared in violation of the mandates given through resolutions 30/1 and 40/1 of the UN Human Rights Council, Minister Gammanpila said.
Further, the 17-page report only contains 02 pages that are in accordance with the mandate conferred on the Human Rights Commissioner, the Minister explained. The remaining content of the report are maliciously aimed at the government, contrary to their scope, he added.
In addition, the report has failed to present credible evidence pertaining to the allegations levelled at Sri Lanka, Minister Gammanpila noted.
The report which was released on January 27, High Commissioner Bachelet pointed out that the failure of the Sri Lankan government to address past violations has significantly heightened the risk of human rights violations being repeated.
She also called for an International Criminal Court investigation into Sri Lanka’s Tamil separatist conflict and targeted sanctions on military officials accused of war crimes.
“Domestic initiatives for accountability and reconciliation have repeatedly failed to produce results, more deeply entrenching impunity, and exacerbating victims’ distrust in the system,” the report read.
It went on to say that the government of President Gotabaya Rajapaksa has reversed some advances made under previous administrations in protecting human rights
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