Sri Lanka flatly rejected the UN resolution led by the United States and adopted by the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva today calling for an international investigation into alleged human rights violations as an conspiracy by interested parties "seeking a regime change".


Addressing the media in Hambantota after the UNHRC voted to adopt the resolution with a majority of 11 votes, Sri Lanka's External Affairs Minister Prof. G. L. Peiris said the interested parties seeking to topple President Rajapaksa's government have planned the international resolution conspiracy.

He said the countries voted in favor of the "unethical" resolution tabled by the US had no choice but to go along with the US because they could not reject US pressure for economic reasons.

He questioned why the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Navi Pillay, who wanted an international inquiry just after the end of the war, was entrusted with the UN probe. The Minister praised India for abstaining from the vote saying that India's decision not to vote was significant.

Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa also rejected the UNHRC vote to adopt the resolution which called for a "comprehensive independent investigation into alleged serious violations and abuses of human rights and related crimes by both parties in Sri Lanka".

"We reject this. This resolution only hurts our reconciliation efforts. It does not help," President has told AFP by phone.

The President has told AFP that he is not discouraged but would press ahead instead with his own reconciliation plan.

"But I am not discouraged. We will continue with the reconciliation process I have started," he has said.

He has remarked that despite the passing of the resolution he take comfort that India abstained from voting.

India explaining its decision to abstain from voting said the resolution HRC25 has the potential to hinder the efforts of Sri Lanka rather than contribute constructively to its efforts in reconciliation.

India had voted in favor of the two previous resolutions sponsored by the US on Sri Lanka.