Hopeful of Indian backing at UNHRC: Sri Lanka

Colombo: Sri Lanka Wednesday said it was hopeful of India’s support against a US-sponsored resolution at the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva. Foreign Secretary Karunatillaka Amunugama told Xinhua that India was likely to take a decision at the very last minute when the final document is presented. [caption id=“attachment_659596” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  Image for representation only. Reuters[/caption] “Of course we will remain hopeful that India will back us. Even we are waiting to see what their response is,” Amunugama said. India earlier this month stated that it had not yet taken a stand on the US-sponsored resolution against Sri Lanka and that New Delhi was carefully monitoring the developments in Geneva. The Sri Lankan government will Friday give its official response to the US resolution when Minister Mahinda Samarasingha addresses the council. Sri Lanka last week vehemently rejected the new resolution saying it was “substantive, intrusive and political in nature”. The government had appointed a committee to study and make recommendations on the draft resolution on Sri Lanka that has been tabled by the US in Geneva. Sri Lanka is facing widespread human rights abuses related to the war that crushed the Tamil Tigers in May 2009. Critics have accused the Sri Lankan military of killing a large number of Tamil civilians, an allegation Colombo denies. IANS