USA to sponsor pro-Sri Lanka resolution at UN

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The USA's pet in power in Sri Lanka (Ranil Wickremesinghe) and the song changes tune in an instant. Anyone who thinks the USA gives a rat's a$$ about human rights - here's a case study for you.

In Shift, US Backs Sri Lanka's Own War Crimes Probe

COLOMBO, Sri Lanka — Aug 26, 2015, 6:59 AM ET

By KRISHAN FRANCIS Associated Press


The United States said Wednesday that it wants to sponsor a resolution at next month's U.N. human rights session that is supportive of Sri Lanka's government, which wants to conduct its own investigation into alleged war crimes.

The announcement by the visiting Assistant Secretary of State Nisha Biswal of a joint resolution with the Sri Lankan government presents a major shift by Washington on the South Asian island nation.

"The United States has announced on Monday in Geneva that it will be offering a resolution in the September session of the Human Rights Council. We have also expressed our hope that it will be a resolution which we hope to offer collaboratively, working with the government of Sri Lanka and with other key stake holders," she said.

The U.S was in the forefront in adopting three resolutions at the U.N. human rights sessions on Sri Lanka, the last of which last year called for an international independent investigation into the alleged abuses.

Biswal said, however, the U.S. now supports a local investigation that the new Sri Lanka government of President Maithripala Sirisena has promised.

Tom Malinowski, assistant secretary of state for democracy, human rights and labor, who accompanied Biswal, said that the new government's approach in dealing with the issues had resulted in the U.S. softening.

"A hallmark of this government's approach to these difficult issues has been that it has defended the interests of Sri Lanka without being defensive, without denying painful facts and trying to discredit critics," he said.

The American officials did not say what the new resolution would contain, but said it will follow a report by the U.N. Human Rights Council scheduled to be released next month.

Relations between the U.S. and Sri Lanka were strained under previous President Mahinda Rajapaksa, who oversaw a military campaign that defeated separatist Tamil Tiger rebels six years ago and ended a decades-long civil war.

Both sides were accused of serious human rights violations amounting to war crimes, and an earlier U.N. report said some 40,000 ethnic Tamil civilians were killed in just the last few months of the fighting, largely as a result of the government's shelling.

In Shift, US Backs Sri Lanka's Own War Crimes Probe - ABC News

 

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Rights, war crimes absent in US remarks on Sri Lanka

Two top US diplomats who became the first foreign dignitaries to hold talks with Colombo after since last week's elections, signalled a softening of Washington's policy towards Sri Lanka.

Assistant Secretaries of State, Nisha Biswal and Tom Malinowski, were gushing praise for President Maithripala Sirisena and Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe while taking swipes at toppled Mahinda Rajapaksa.

The two diplomats did not refer to "human rights," "war crimes" or "accountability" and instead stressed on democracy, rule of law and economic prosperity in contrast to their previous public stand during the Rajapaksa era.

Assistant secretary for democracy, human rights and labour, Tom Malinowski, even cautioned others not to expect quick results from the new government as it embarks on a process of nation building and ensuring reconciliation.

"We recognise that some of the choices ahead are going to be difficult. We recognise that this process is going to take time. Nobody expects miracles," he said after talks with the new foreign minister Mangala Samaraweera in Colombo.


Rights, war crimes absent in US remarks on Sri Lanka | Economynext