“Those who live in glass houses are best advised to exercise caution before throwing stones”.

"As far as Sri Lanka is concerned, our policy in respect of all matters will continue to be guided by the vital interests and wellbeing of the people of our country. It hardly requires emphasis that this cannot yield place to any other consideration”.

"It is a matter of great satisfaction to us that 15 countries voted with Sri Lanka, despite the intensity of pressure, in a variety of forms, exerted on them all."

"a desperate attempt to disempower and undermine Sri Lanka and they are trying every trick in the bag to further this dark design."

"The cornered badger bravely fought the mastiffs of neo-imperialism, savage in the fray, and went down fighting yesterday… It certainly was a defeat as good as victory."

"This is the second battle we are facing, after the war.”

Last week the Minister commented that Americans in Sri Lanka were trying to assassinate him after he called for a boycott of American products.

The US Embassy in Colombo has warned citizens of a protest scheduled to take place outside the Embassy today, with more protests possible throughout the week.

Extracts from the editorial Friday of The Hindu, which has hisotircally been a vocal supporter of President Rajapaksa’s regime and its predecessors:

“The wording of the resolution was tweaked by India to say the implementation assistance the United Nations Commissioner for Human Rights will provide must be with Sri Lanka's 'concurrence'.

“Yet, Colombo must not misread this concession.

“Thursday's resolution is the first real sign that the world will no more let itself be guided solely by Sri Lankan claims that it has the will to carry out its own probe.

“It also means that gentle prodding and quiet diplomacy will not be the main means the world will adopt towards [Sri Lanka].

“President Rajapaksa may not like the Geneva resolution but he has brought it upon himself.

“For the first time in decades, New Delhi is in concord with popular sentiments in Tamil Nadu but it would be wrong to look at its Geneva vote as merely the product of domestic political pressure.

“Over time, the false assurances on devolution and implementation of “the 13th amendment and beyond” it received from Colombo have frustrated South Block and forced it to reconsider its diplomatic options.

“What is welcome in India's latest stand is that it has outgrown its misplaced fear of the growing regional presence of China.

“Having voted for the resolution, the onus is now on India to remain engaged with the Lankan authorities, as its interests lie in promoting reconciliation and supporting the quest of Tamil Sri Lankans for justice, equality and dignity.

“India needs to brace for extraordinary diplomatic challenges ahead.”

Comments by Juliette De Rivero, advocacy director at Human Rights Watch, on the UN Human Rights Council’s resolution on Sri Lanka on Thursday:

“The Human Rights Council's vote demonstrates broad international dissatisfaction with Sri Lanka's accountability efforts in the three years since the end of the war.

“Many countries have recognized that this resolution is an important first step toward serious action to investigate the many abuses by both sides during the conflict.

“In its failed efforts to block the council resolution, the Sri Lankan government saw fit to put its own citizens at risk through vicious personal attacks on rights advocates. It's a credit to Human Rights Council members that they saw through the government's scare tactics to avoid accountability.

“Human Rights Council members recognized that when it came to accountability, Sri Lanka has been all talk and no action.

“It's crucial that implementation of the resolution be closely monitored to ensure that the victims of Sri Lanka's long war finally achieve some measure of justice.”

Sri Lankan Minister Mervyn Silva has threatened human rights activists who attended the 19th UN Human Rights Council Session in Geneva, where a resolution about Sri Lanka was adopted yesterday.

Speaking at a protest against the resolution on Friday, Silva singled out activists Sunila Abeysekara, Nimalka Fernando and Dr. Paikiasothy Saravanamuttu and journalists Sunanda Deshapriya and Poddala Jayantha for betraying Sri Lanka and threatened them with violence.

“I am the one who chased Poddala Jayantha from Sri Lanka,” he said, referring to the journalist who fled the country due to threats issued against him for criticising the government.

He went on to issue a warning to those who allegedly gave evidence against Sri Lanka at the UNHRC.

“If you get caught to me in Sri Lanka, I will break your limbs in public. I say this responsibly. No matter who conspires against me,” he openly declared.

External Links:

Sri Lankan NGO activists work with LTTE rumps in Geneva - The Official Government News Portal of Sri Lanka (17 Mar 2012)

The US state department has eased restrictions on defence exports to Sri Lanka on Thursday, the same day as the passing of a resolution on Sri Lanka at the UN Human Rights Council, AP reports.

Tensions between the countries are high, as Sri Lanka rejected the US-sponsored resolution and condemned the interference into what it says are internal matters.

The state department said that the move to lift some restrictions, namely the exports of equipment for aerial and maritime equipment, is unrelated to the resolution.

The easing of the restrictions, which have been in place since the early 1980s, allow exports on a case-by-case basis of equipment such as unarmed patrol boats, light aircraft cameras and related components.

Dayashri Jayasekara, an MP with Sri Lanka’s main opposition United National Party (UNP), told parliament that Rs. 6.35 million sent as aid to areas highly affected by floods in the East of Sri Lanka in 2011 had been misappropriated.

Jayasekara stated during a debate that several officials involved with the bank had been involved with embezzlement.

The allegations have been denied by Deputy Finance Minister Geethanjana Gunawardena, who claims that the money had been used to provide relief to close to 6,000 families in the Eastern Province and tabled documents to support his claims.

At the time, UNICEF stated in a report that over a million people were directly affected and over 300,000 were displaced due to the floods in Batticaloa and Amparai.

Writing in The Guardian on Tuesday, UK MPs, including former UK foreign secretaries, Douglas Alexander MP, David Miliband MP, Jack Straw MP and Margaret Beckett MP, urged member states to back a resolution tabled at the UNHRC.

Extracts reproduced below:

"Establishment of military, rather than independent, courts of inquiry to investigate some army and navy actions suggests true accountability will not be forthcoming from within Sri Lanka."

"In November 2011 the UN Committee Against Torture published a damning report on Sri Lanka, revealing the extent of allegations of human rights violations and torture by state actors. The militarisation of the Tamil majority areas in the north of the island, and the curtailment of their economic, political and social rights, continues to increase tensions between already polarised communities and undermines prospects for peace."

"The US resolution calls for implementation of the constructive recommendations on reconciliation made by the Lessons Learnt and Reconciliation Commission; asks the government to present a plan to implement the recommendations and investigate the alleged violations at the end of the conflict; and offers international support and technical assistance to Sri Lanka to help address these issues.

"This resolution, if implemented, would be an important first step in ensuring long-lasting peace. We, and all council members, must support it."

New evidence has emerged detailing the sequence of events that led to the killing of the senior LTTE commander, Colonel Ramesh, after in the custody of the Sri Lankan army, The Global Mail reports.

"Of the mass of available evidence, the most compelling trail is that of Colonel Ramesh. His death provides a crack of light that illuminates the deaths of thousands of others, and the motives of the probable perpetrators."

"The Global Mail has examined these images with lawyers and senior police investigators. In the words of one investigator, a former police officer, these images leave "no doubt" and are prima facie evidence that a crime has been committed, showing victim, place, time and overwhelming evidence of perpetrators at the crime scene and engaged in the concealment of the death."

See here for new photographic evidence. (Warning -  graphic images).

The UN Human Rights Council has passed a resolution calling on Sri Lanka to investigate alleged human rights violations.

The resolution, sponsored by the US and co-sponsored by 40 other nations, was passed by 24 votes to 15, with 8 abstentions.

The resolution calls on Sri Lanka to implement its own recommendations in addressing allegations of violations of international law.

The text also encourages the UN human rights office to assist Sri Lanka in implementing the steps recommended by the reolution.

“Sri Lanka has had the time and space to develop its own roadmap for lasting national reconciliation and accountability” since 2009, Eileen Chamberlain Donahoe, the U.S. ambassador to the council, said before the vote. She described the resolution as “moderate and balanced” and said it aims to “help the people of Sri Lanka achieve a lasting and equitable peace.”

EU members of the Human Rights Council, Nigeria, Cameroon, India, Chile and Guatemala all voted for the resolution.

Malaysia was one of the 8 countries that abstained and China, Russia, Indonesia, Thailand, Qatar and Saudi Arabia all voted against the resolution.

“This is a very good start, but it is just a start. We need to keep up the pressure to make sure there is real change. The call for an independent international investigation remains, and will until it is answered.

“Many of the nations that supported Sri Lanka in 2009, such as Nigeria, Cameroon, and India, have realised that they were lied to and today took the courageous step of supporting the resolution. We particularly thank them.

“The [Sri Lankan] Government has tried to paint this issue as one of east vs west - whereas in reality it has been the Sri Lankan regime vs its own people. Today that was demonstrated, as nations from all over the world joined with Sri Lanka's internal critics to tell the government it is wrong, and its policies are flawed.”

- Fred Carver, Campaign Director for the Sri Lanka Campaign for Peace and Justice, reacting to news of the UN Human Rights Council resolution on Sri Lanka.

“This resolution is a welcome first step towards accountability and peace in Sri Lanka. This is the first substantive UN resolution regarding Sri Lanka since 1987, and it puts the government of Sri Lanka on notice that the international community will no longer passively accept gross violations of human rights and humanitarian law.

“Though we would have preferred the resolution to establish an International Commission of Inquiry, we see this as an incremental first step towards establishing a proper mechanism towards accountability in Sri Lanka.”

- Vani Selvarajah, spokesperson for a grouping of Diaspora organisations - the British Tamils Forum (BTF), Canadian Tamil Congress (CTC), and the United States Tamil Political Action Council (USTPAC).

The US-led resolution was adopted with 24 votes in favour, 15 against and eight abstentions.

Whilst India voted against Sri Lanka, China backed Colombo.

Speaking to journalists on the resolution tabled at the UNHRC, the US ambassador, Eileen Donahue, said,

"We don't think of this as a symbolic vote,"

"We see this as a meaningful effort to encourage the Sri Lankan government to take credible steps. We fear the government of Sri Lanka might fail to take those credible steps."

Whilst Robert Blake, U.S. assistant secretary of state for South Asia and Central Asia, said,

"We think they've had quite a lot of time to develop an action plan and we're disappointed they haven't done so,"

"Much remains to be done to ensure that Tamils, especially in the north, can live in peace."

In a joint statement, a large coalition of activists and civil society actors in India have urged the Indian government to follow through on its recent statements expressing an inclination to support the resolution.

"Our communications with activists and community leaders in Sri Lanka have confirmed need for significant improvements, including efforts to help trace the missing, to devise and implement a political solution, to widen space for civil society groups and to address land conflicts, remain pressing issues, which if left unaddressed can undermine the existing situation in Sri Lanka, where there is a real opportunity for lasting peace."

“The unwillingness of Sri Lanka to make progress on the LLRC and other measures such as the talks with the Tamil National Alliance is the fundamental obstacle to move forward.

"It is thus incumbent for other governments, such as ours, to encourage the Sri Lankan government to do so."

“The U.S.-sponsored resolution calls for Sri Lanka to report back to the UNHRC on the implementation of the LLRC and to accept technical support from the U.N. to implement it. We sincerely hope that the Government of India will follow through on its own statement by supporting this resolution, and strongly urge it to do so."

The organisations and activists include: Vrinda Grover, Bureau Member, South Asians for Human Rights (SAHR) & Lawyer; Farah Naqvi; Uma Chakravarti, feminist historian; Saheli; Chayanika Shah, Forum Against Oppression of Women; Tapan Bose, Secretary General, South Asia Forum for Human Rights; Human Rights Alert, Manipur; Madhuresh Kumar, National Organiser, National alliance of People's Movement; Mary E. John, Centre for Women's Development Studies; Ponni Arasu; Madhu Mehra; Anuradha Kapoor, Swayam; Vasanth Kannabiran; Fatima N; Women's Forum; Akhil Katyal; A. Mangai; Nimisha Desai, Olakh; Aloysius Irudayam; Ambika P; Amrita Shodhan; Vimochana; Antoine Maria Jerome; Anusha Hariharan; Berchmans; Bobby Kunhu; Breettus; Brenna Bhandar; Dr. Subash Mohapatra (journalist); Dwijen Rangneker; Eugine Rosario; Fr. K. Amal; Gautam Bhan; Geetanjali Gangoli; Geetha Nambisan; Gnana Raj; James Antonysamy; Jayasree Subramanian (TISS); Joseph Xaviar; Kalyani Menon Sen; Kamayani Bali Mahabal; Kaushiki Rao; Kiran; Lalita Ramdas; Lawrence M.M; Lena Ganesh; Lesley A. Esteves (journalist); Madhabi Maity; Mario D'Penha; Mayur Suresh; Meena Saraswathi Seshu; Navsharan Singh; Philip Kumar; Prakash Louis; Pramada Menon (queer feminist activist); Prasanna Nair; Prem SJ; Raj Irudaya; Rajashri Dasgupta; Ramesh; Ramlath Kavil; Ratheesh; Rukmini Datta; S. Seshan (human rights activist); Samy; Sebastian; Sebastinthangadurai; Shalini Krishan; Sharanya Nayak (Executive Secretary – Humane Trust); Sheba George; Shipra Nigam; Stephen Robert; Sukla Sen (EKTA- Committee for Communal Amity); Suneeta Dhar; Supriya Madangarli; Suresh Kumar; Teena Gill; V. Geetha; VijiBose; Viji P; Vivek Sundara; Warisha Farasat (lawyer); and Veena R Poonacha, Director, Research Centre for Women's Studies, SNDT Women's University.

Giving the term ‘public-private partnership’ a new twist,

Sri Lanka’s leading corporations staged their own demonstration Tuesday against growing international pressure over accountability for mass atrocities in the final months of the island’s war.

See The Island’s report here.

“The cream of Sri Lanka’s private sector last evening thronged in their numbers, … around 5,000 people gathered … expressing solidarity in their clarion call for the United States to leave Sri Lanka alone,” the paper said.