UN considering resolution criticizing Sri Lanka's rights violations

[TamilNet, Saturday, 18 November 2006, 15:16 GMT]
The United Nation's Human Rights Council, created in 2006 to improve the United Nations' capacity to confront the world's worst rights abusers, is considering a resolution criticizing Sri Lanka, a European Diplomat speaking on condition of anonymity told Washington Post, the paper reported in its Saturday edition.

The Human Rights Council replaced the Human Rights Commission, whose credibility suffered because of the membership of noted rights abusers, including Zimbabwe and Sudan, the paper noted.

The European diplomat, who had not been authorized by his government to speak to the press, said that the Council will begin to confront rights abusers. He noted that the council is already considering resolutions criticizing Sudan and Sri Lanka. "It's [the Council] not even up and running," the diplomat said. "It has to find its feet," Washington Post said.

Earlier this week, the special advisor to the UN Representative for Children and Armed Conflict, Allan Rock, told reporters in Colombo that he had evidence of direct involvement of Sri Lanka Army (SLA) troops in forcibly enlisting children for the paramilitary group.

The Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission (SLMM), a ceasefire monitoring body consisting of members from the Nordic countries, had earlier accused the SLA of shelling refugees, and being several extra-judicial killings.

SLA soldiers and collaborating paramilitaries have been accused of wide spread abductions, and targetting civil society leaders as part of counter-insurgency campaign in the NorthEast of Sri Lanka.

Chronology:


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