Geneva, 12 February 2013 - Report of the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights on advice and technical assistance for the Government of Sri Lanka on promoting reconciliation and accountability in Sri Lanka has been made public prior to the UNHRC’s 22nd Session which opens on 25 February.

The High Commissioner in this report recommends that the Government of Sri Lanka:

(a) Give positive consideration to the offers of assistance made in her letter dated 26 November 2012, in particular expertise in:

(i) The establishment of a truth-seeking mechanism as an integral part of a more comprehensive and inclusive approach to transitional justice;

(ii) Criminal and forensic investigations to review relevant case files and advise on additional lines of inquiry to resolve outstanding cases in accordance with international standards;

(iii) Drafting laws dealing with witness and victim protection, the right to information, the criminalization of enforced disappearances and the revision of existing laws to bring them into line with the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and the Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment;

(iv) Strengthening and ensuring the independence of national institutions;

(v) The development of a national reparations policy in line with international standards;

(b) Invite special procedures mandate holders with outstanding requests to make country visits, particularly those who have offered assistance pursuant to Human Rights Council resolution 19/2;

(c) Hold public and inclusive consultations on the national plan of action for implementation of the recommendations of the Lessons Learnt and Reconciliation Commission with a view to revising and expanding its scope and clarifying commitments and responsibilities;

(d) Revisit and implement the Commission’s recommendation on appointing a special commissioner of investigation into disappearances, and extend tracing programmes to include all missing persons;

(e) Open proceedings of military courts of inquiry and future trials of LTTE detainees to independent observers to increase public confidence, and allow proceedings to be evaluated in line with international standards;

(f) Publish the final report of the presidential commission of inquiry 2006 to allow the evidence gathered to be evaluated and accept international assistance to resolve outstanding cases;

(g) Take further steps in demilitarization and devolution to involve minority communities fully in decision-making processes;

(h) Engage civil society and minority community representatives in dialogue on appropriate forms of commemoration and memorialization that will advance inclusion and reconciliation.

The High Commissioner noted the views expressed by many stakeholders in Sri Lanka, including prominent community leaders, that the attention paid by the Human Rights Council to issues of accountability and reconciliation in Sri Lanka had helped to create space for debate, and catalyzed positive steps forward, however limited at this stage. The High Commissioner encourages the Council to continue its engagement and build on this momentum. In this regard, she reaffirms her long-standing call for an independent and credible international investigation into alleged violations of international human rights and humanitarian law, which could also monitor any domestic accountability process.

by G Pramod Kumar, Feb 5, 2013 - India has always pacified Tamil groups in the country citing 13th amendment, promise of more inclusive politics and the reported rehabilitation efforts. The impeachment exposed Sri Lanka’s double standards on the issue and betrayed its treacherous designs with India. The US resolution will be yet another opportunity for India to call Sri Lanka’s bluff and take action on its blatant dismissal of the demands of human rights groups and international community. Over the years, it has perfected the art of lying, dodging and ganging up with countries that have scant respect for human rights and democracy to thumb its nose at civility. India has been a willing victim. Even now, Sri Lanka is certain that India will side with it. “Our position is that India is our greatest friend and closest neighbor and they have been extremely supportive in many issues and they have been a friend indeed. So, we believe that stand,” media minister Keheliya Rambukwella has reportedly said.

New Indian Express, 11 February 2013 - With Parliamentary session all set to begin, the UPA Government is girding up to withstand pressure from both the DMK and AIADMK to support a resolution in the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) against Sri Lanka. The Centre is, however, keeping all options open. With the DMK begining the groundwork, it remains to be seen, if there would be a re-run of last year’s intense pressure mounted by the Tamil regional parties. The pressure is likely to mount on the Centre, with both the AIADMK and DMK expected to outdo each other during the Parliamentary session, which begins from February 21.

PTI, February 10, 2013 - Chennai: India would support any resolution brought forward by United Nations against Sri Lanka if the island nation does not honour recommendations of the world body on human rights issues, Minister of State in the PMO V Narayanasamy said here on Sunday. "When United Nations brought forward a resolution against Sri Lanka, India voted for it. If UN's recommendations are not honoured by Sri Lanka, India will support any resolution brought by it against the island nation," he told reporters.

PTI, 8 February 2013 - Accusing Prime Minister Manmohan Singh of "weakening" a UN resolution against Sri Lanka for its alleged human rights abuse, Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa today urged the Centre to move the world body for imposing economic sanctions on it, till minority Tamils got equal rights. Replying to a discussion in the Assembly on the Governor's address, she said, India had voted against Sri Lanka in the UNHCR last year on a "strong" resolution, after her repeated insistence with the Prime Minister.

By Gibson Bateman, 03 February 2013 - So it looks like the US will bring another resolution on Sri Lanka at the next session of the UN’s Human Rights Council (HRC) in Geneva this March. Quite frankly – I am shocked. US foreign policy as it relates to Sri Lanka has been confusing and is replete with complications and contradictions. One can’t help but wonder: Where is all of this heading? Is this a road to nowhere? I’m really tired of reading about how the United States government is concerned about developments in Sri Lanka. If Washington really is concerned, Obama should prove it by making diplomatic isolation a reality for the regime in Colombo. To put it more bluntly, when it comes to human rights in Sri Lanka, Washington should “go big or go home.” Things are bad here and getting worse. Sri Lankans who are not happy with recent governance trends have a right to know who their friends really are.

03 February 2013 - “We are acutely aware that the GOSL will seek to show the world that some progress has been made, by pointing to the current visit by the TNA to South Africa. Therefore we wish to make it clear that our engagement with the South African initiative is NOT a process that we have commenced with the GOSL and that appropriate action at the UNHRC is absolutely necessary to persuade the GOSL to comply with the said resolution and to discontinue with its harmful agenda against the Tamil People of Sri Lanka”, Tamil National Alliance (TNA) said today in a statement. A delegation of the Tamil National Alliance (TNA) is presently in South Africa. This is consequent to an initiative by the Government of South Africa and the African National Congress to share their own experiences in Conflict Resolution and Truth and Reconciliation.The TNA delegation to South Africa was headed by party leader R. Sampanthan and comprised Jaffna District Parliamentarian, Mavai Senathirajah, MPs M.A. Sumanthiran, Selvam Adaikalanathan and Suresh Premachandran.

The Hindu, COLOMBO, January 31, 2013 - The United States is sure that India will support a country-specific resolution sponsored by it in the coming session of the United Nations Human Rights Council in Geneva. The U.S. representatives revealed here that it had “decided to sponsor a procedural resolution at the March 2013 session of the U.N. Human Rights Council along with international partners”. U.S. Deputy Assistant Secretary of State James Moore told select media here that “the resolution will be straightforward; it will be a procedural resolution, and it will build on the 2012 resolution which called on Sri Lanka to do more to promote reconciliation and accountability. The resolution will ask the government of Sri Lanka to follow through on its own commitments to its people, including the implementation of the LLRC [Lessons Learnt and Reconciliation Commission] recommendations.”

Geneva, 29 January 2013 - The UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC) is to consider and adopt the Universal Periodic Review (UPR) report on Sri Lanka (A/HRC/22/16) during the 22nd session of the UNHRC which is to be held from 25 February to 22 March 2013 at the United Nations Office at Geneva. The UPR on Sri Lanka was held last November in Geneva. In its resolution 19/2, on "promoting reconciliation and accountability in Sri Lanka" the Council encouraged OHCHR and relevant special procedures mandate holders to provide, in consultation with and with the concurrence of the Government of Sri Lanka, advice and technical assistance on implementing the steps mentioned in that resolution, and requested OHCHR to present a report on the provision of such assistance to the Council at its twenty-second session. The Council will also consider the report of OHCHR (A/HRC/22/38).

Colombo, Jan 27 2013 (IANS) A high-level delegation from the US State Department Sunday held talks with the Sri Lankan government and opposition members regarding post-war developments in the island nation. Deputy Assistant Secretary of State James Moore, Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense Vikram Singh and Deputy Assistant Secretary of State Jane Zimmerman arrived in the island Saturday, Xinhua reported. The delegation met a key Tamil minority political party and discussed issues concerning Tamils in the north and east of the country. A Tamil National Alliance (TNA) official told Xinhua that issues including the resettlement of people displaced due to war and an upcoming session at the UN Human Rights Council where the Sri Lankan issue is expected to be raised were discussed.