Colombo, Jan 31 (IANS) Sri Lanka is confident
that India will support it in the face of a US-backed resolution on human
rights issues at the UNHRC meet in Geneva this year.
Media Minister Keheliya
Rambukwella was insistent that India would side with Sri Lanka despite Indian
media reports to the contrary.
"Our position is
that India is our greatest friend and closest neighbour and they have been
extremely supportive in many issues and they have been a friend indeed. So we
believe that stand," he told the media.
"Of course last
time they had to opt out, they had given certain reasons, all this we discuss
at a diplomatic level.
"From time to time
international relations change for a variety of reasons. But we still believe
they are our greatest friend and we have had that cordiality right
throughout," he added.
In 2012 India voted for
a US-backed resolution at the UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC) in Geneva pulling
up Colombo over widespread rights abuses during the war and seeking
reconciliation measures.
The Indian vote tipped
the balance against Sri Lanka, leading to Colombo's defeat.
After the Indian vote,
bilateral relations between the two countries chilled to the point of President
Mahinda Rajapaksa openly criticizing the Indian government. The issue was later
smoothed over.
On Thursday, an Indian
newspaper quoted US Deputy Assistant Secretary of State James Moore as telling
Sri Lankan journalists that he was confident India would back the new
resolution.
Rambukwella was adamant
that the US resolution would not have a negative impact on the economy and
insisted that foreign direct investment (FDI) would not be affected.
"As far as FDI is
concerned, I don't think human rights are the reason because there are people
investing in countries with wars. There are other reasons as well like
infrastructure, which we are doing...
"So there are much
bigger reasons or more concerns which have to be addressed," he said.
"Human rights are part of it but it's not the one and only reason."
The minister said Sri
Lanka was confident could lobby enough votes from member countries to defeat
the US-backed resolution.
"There is no guilty
conscience... We are very confident. In the event that something happens, we
feel it is an (US) agenda they are working on.
"And these agendas
have been there, and we are very mindful of it," he said. "We are
content with what we have been doing, and we shall continue to meet the
challenge as it arises."
