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. We convey to them our warm thanks and deep
appreciation.
We also thank sincerely the 8 countries which, by abstaining, declined to support the Resolution.
With
15 countries voting with SriLanka, and 8 countries abstaining, the
final result was that 23 countries, out of a total of 47 members of the
Human Rights Council, did not support the Resolution, while 24 supported
it. The margin was as narrow as this.
The
most distressing feature of this experience is the obvious reality that
voting at the Human Rights Council is now determined not by the merits
of a particular issue but by strategic alliances and domestic political
issues in other countries which have nothing to do with the subject
matter of a Resolution or the best interests of the country to which the
Resolution relates. This is a cynical negation of the purposes for
which the Human Rights Council was established.
Many
countries which voted with Sri Lanka were acutely conscious of the
danger of setting a precedent which enables ad hoc intervention by
powerful countries in the internal affairs of other nations. This is a
highly selective and arbitrary process not governed by objective norms
or criteria of any kind. The implications of this were not lost on many
countries.
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.
Permanent Mission of Sri Lanka to the United Nations
Geneva
Geneva
22 March 2012