Hon. Dilith Jayaweera

¶ 01 Hon. Presiding Member, we support this Agreement with the UAE; no further elaboration is necessary on that. However, given current relevance, I must mention the statement by our Foreign Minister at the 60th Session of the UNHRC, declaring principled opposition to external mechanisms. That is commendable.

¶ 02 Yet, other points in that statement warrant close attention. At UNHRC sessions, the recurring premise has been alleged human rights violations in Sri Lanka and calls for accountability. We all believe that today citizens live freely, thanks to the sacrifices of our armed forces—our soldiers—made on behalf of the country, not for personal gain.

¶ 03 However, given the past stance of some in the present Government—opposing the war in 2009, joining the 2015 “good governance” Government, and supporting seven related laws—with two more drafts reportedly in the pipeline (establishing an Independent Prosecutor’s Office and a Truth-Seeking Commission), we must be cautious. If those two bills internalize what external mechanisms sought to do, it could undermine future confidence and be an act of ingratitude to all communities who sacrificed for peace. We must instead pursue a sincere, domestic process of reconciliation and acknowledgement of wrongs on both sides, focusing on “human” rights in the context of a civil conflict within our borders, not a war between States.

¶ 04 We should invite international observers to see that Sri Lanka can address its shortcomings domestically through already established commissions and credible processes. We must act with sincerity to resolve inter-ethnic and inter-religious issues internally, while rejecting any conspiratorial agendas from outside.

¶ 05 In conclusion, the “National Organizations Collective” requested that I table a letter addressed to the Hon. Minister of Foreign Affairs, signed by Dr. Gunadasa Amarasekara. I place it on record and thank you, Hon. Presiding Member.