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TNA Welcomes passage of Resolution on Sri Lanka at UNHRC in Geneva

The Tamil National Alliance welcomes the passage of the Resolution “Promoting Reconciliation and Accountability in Sri Lanka” at the Human Rights Council.

We believe that the Resolution will benefit all Sri Lankans, regardless of ethnicity. We sincerely hope that the Resolution and the clear collective will of the Council will encourage the government to face the future with fortitude and move decisively to protect human rights and take tangible action to advance genuine reconciliation.
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UN Watch, a non-governmental organization based in Geneva has reported that the EU has made recommendation to reverse the 2009 UNHRC Resolution that praised Sri Lanka’s conduct of the war.

US Ambassador Eileen Chamberlain Donahoe briefed the press at the United Nations, Feb 22, 2012-on U.S. priorities at the 19th Session of the U.N. Human Rights Council-U.S. Mission Photo by Eric Bridiers

The report also states that Sri Lankan Attorney-General challenged the premise and necessity of the draft, during the informal consultation chaired by US Ambassador Eileen Chamberlain Donahoe last week.

Report by UNWatch.org as follows:
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Letter signed by clergies urge decisive action by UNHRC towards genuine reconciliation in Sri Lanka

Most Rev. Rayappu Joseph

Full Text of letter as follows:

To: The President and all members of the United Nations Human Rights
Council
Dear Excellencies, UN Human Rights Council,

We are writing to you as a group of concerned Christian clergy in North Sri Lanka who have been directly affected by war and have been working to ensure rights of people in our region before, during and after the war, while being concerned and committed to broader issues of human rights, democratization and rule of law in Sri Lanka.
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Sri Lanka’s Tamil Parliamentarians belonging to Tamil National Alliance (TNA) have unanimously resolved to monitor all developments at UNHRC at a meeting attended by all MPs and presided over by leader R. Sampanthan MP on Mar 2, 2012.

TNA Leader R. Sampanthan addressing a meeting in Vavuniya, Feb 20, 2012

The Tamil National Alliance on February 25th issued a statement that ‘TNA won’t exacerbate tensions by attending UNHRC 19th sessions in Geneva’.
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Mahinda Samarasinghe, the head of the Sri Lankan delegation at the 19th sessions of the UNHRC in Geneva has returned to Colombo, Sri Lanka’s government sources said.

Human Rights Council – 19th Session-Mahinda Samarasinghe, Minister of Plantation Industries of Sri Lanka addresses High-Level Segment of the 19th session of the Human Rights Council. 27 February 2012. Photo by Jean-Marc Ferré

Mr Samarasinghe who broke journey in India spoke to media saying that Sri Lanka would be able to garner enough of support to stave off a US proposed resolution, the PTI reported.
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MSF was not present in Sri Lanka battle zone before May 2009 as suggested by Defense Secretary

MSF Not Present in Sri Lanka Battle Zone

Report—MSF PARIS/COLOMBO—The medical humanitarian organization

Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) is concerned about an interview suggesting that it was present in 2009 in Sri Lanka’s war zone and that it received surrendering militants to be treated.
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