Sri Lankan government responds to UN report ahead of UNHRC resolution

Sri Lanka's government has responded to a report by UN Human Rights Commissioner, rejecting the call for an international inquiry into the allegations of war crimes as Sri Lanka readies to face a third resolution at the UN Human Rights Council, local media reported on Thursday. UN Human Rights chief Navi Pillay has sent a copy of her report based on her fact-finding mission in Sri Lanka last year, to the government ahead of the U.S. sponsored resolution being presented before the UNHRC. In the report she has made a string of recommendations to improve reconciliation and human rights in Sri Lanka including renewing calls for an international inquiry into allegations of civilian deaths during the last phase of the conflict. "Accordingly, the government has sent its detailed response, particularly rejecting the call for an international inquiry. It has also asked for more time and space to address the issues in the post-war period. The report has been sent to the UNHRC through Sri Lanka's Permanent Representative in Geneva Ravinatha Ariyasinghe," local newspaper Dailymirror reported. Sri Lanka's External Affairs Minister Prof. G.L. Peiris along with other government envoys have been lobbying extensively to drum up support ahead of the resolution to be presented in Geneva next month. Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa has personally undertaken visits to UNHRC member Saudi Arabia to push for support. China has already expressed backing following a visit by Prof. Peiris last week. However, India's government is set to back the call for an international investigation into alleged war crimes according to a UK newspaper report from New Delhi on Wednesday. India and Sri Lanka as neighbors share a complex relationship, which has waned when the sub-continent backed the resolution during 2012 and 2013.