China is putting its weight behind Sri Lanka and pushing for amendments to the first text of the draft resolution to be tabled at the UN Human Rights Council this week, demanding that it reflect the positive changes in Sri Lanka.
Sri Lanka is pushing for amendments to the current text and it has found support in the form of China and Russia.
The second informal briefing on Sri Lanka took place in Geneva yesterday on the sidelines of the 30th session of the UN Human Rights Council.
The core group involved in drafting the resolution on Sri Lanka held the briefing to reach a consensus on the text of draft resolution.
During the first informal briefing on Monday the Government raised objections and concerns over the first draft text of the resolution with Sri Lanka’s Ambassador to Geneva Ravinatha Aryasinha saying that the text is reparative, judgmental and prescriptive and not in keeping with the spirit of the process of reconciliation and reform underway in Sri Lanka.
“Neither is it helpful in adopting a collaborative approach to reaching consensus. Many paragraphs in the current draft are in fact counterproductive to the reconciliation efforts of the Government and have the tendency to polarize communities, vitiate the atmosphere on the ground that is being carefully nurtured towards reconciliation and pace building and restrict the space required for consultation,” he said. (Colombo Gazette)