| by A Special Correspondent
( November 06,
2012, Geneva, Sri Lanka Guardian) Geneva- In a bizarre move India has agreed to
drop major part of recommendations it made to Sri Lanka at the 14th
session of UPR held on 1st Nov 2012.
The recommendations made by India
on implementation of 13th amendment to the constitution,
Demilitarisation of Northern Province, Elections to the Northern Provincial
Council and land issues in Northern Province
have been deleted in the working group report with the concurrence of the India.
This about turn
by India took Geneva based diplomatic
community by surprise on 5th Nov when the when the working group
report was presented. For instance USA and France raised
the objections of changes made to the report being non- transparent. Responding to those objections Sri Lankan
ambassador R. Ariyasinghe told the council that all such changes have been made
with concurrence of the relevant status.
At the end of a
unusual exchange of words between USA, France, Switzerland
and Belgium on the one hand
and Cuba, China and Russia on the other hand chair of
the Human Rights Council ruled that all such changes should be explained in end
notes.
One observer
told this correspondent that what is most glaring change of position belongs to
India and there could be a
deal between the Sri Lanka
and India
over these contentions issues. In the 19th session which was held
last March India forced USA
to dilute it resolution on Sri
Lanka making it toothless. India managed to
change the follow up close of the US backed resolution to include the words 'concurrence of the Sri Lanka
Government' thus making it almost non binding.
Tamil observer
to the UPR session told this correspondent that it seems India has
betrayed the Sri Lankan Tamils again. Indian Mission to Geneva was not available for a comment.
The position
taken by India
at the UPR Sri Lanka session and the watered down version of Indian position as
included in the working group report is given below:
This is what India said on
the 1st Nov 2012 at UPR Sri Lanka session:
3. At the same
time we recall the commitments made by Sri Lanka to the international
community during UPR 2008 and on subsequent occasions for the implementation of
13th amendment and building on it so as to achieve a meaningful devolution
package. We urge expeditious action to take forward the political process for
early political settlement.
4. We have noted
the announcement by the Sri Lankan government on holding Provincial Council
elections in the Northern Province
in 2013. We urge that the people of the
province should be able to exercise democratic rights as guaranteed to them by
the Sri Lanka
constitution as early as possible.
5. We look
forward to effective and timely implementation of the constructive recommendations
contained in the LLRC report. These include those pertaining to early
reconciliation, promotion of a trilingual policy; return the private land by
the military, reduction of high security zones, and pushing out of the
involvement of the security forces in civilian activities in the Northern Province. We
have noted the action plan proposed by the Sri Lankan Government for the time
bound implementation of these recommendations. We believe that the visible
progress in this regard will foster genuine reconciliation. We call for
credible investigations to be conducted in respect of allegations of Human
Rights violation and incidents involving loss of civilian life brought out in
the LLRC report.
This is what
report prepared by the working group says:
74. India looked
forward to speedy resolution of the residual issues in resettlement and
rehabilitation. It called for credible investigations into allegations in the
LLRC report. It noted the action plan for time-bound implementation of LLRC
recommendations.
Experienced India
watchers in Geneva (HRC) strongly
believe that there could be a deal between the two countries and then the
million Swiss Frank question is: what is the deal?
 Geneva- In a bizarre move India has agreed to drop ma...){kind=link}