Countries that backed SL against UNHRC resolution, urge

By our political correspondent

Countries that backed Sri Lanka by either abstaining or voting against the US-sponsored UNHRC resolution in Geneva, have told the government to take steps to implement the LLRC recommendations and show progress by March 2013.

Presidential Secretary Lalith Weeratunga who is heading the task force formed to implement the LLRC recommendations said, “The countries that had been backing Sri Lanka during the previous resolution had made this request in order to continue their support.

“We as the government do not believe that we could continue to expect their support merely on the basis of goodwill. Thus, it is essential to implement what they are requesting and show our genuineness as well,” he affirmed.

He also said Sri Lanka will be up for a full review on the progress of the LLRC recommendations by 2013.

Weeratunga said that by next month, the task force will be briefing the Cabinet and the media on the progress made in implementing the LLRC recommendations.

“Few of the recommendations will be implemented this year while the others will be implemented next year, after the budget for 2013 is prepared. We will be doing this since the 2012 budget allocations to the ministries have already been done before the release of the LLRC report last year,” he said.

The task force has selected 33 recommendations out of the 285 listed by the LLRC to be implemented at the national level.

In October the United Nations will be conducting a Universal Progress Review of Sri Lanka’s post-war reconciliation process.

“We are confident that the main LLRC recommendations that have been selected can be implemented in full. This will further strengthen Sri Lanka’s foreign relations,” he said.

In March this year, the UN Human Rights Council had adopted a resolution by a majority vote, calling for the full implementation of the LLRC recommendations. During the past few weeks, the coalition partners submitted their opinions on the recommendations to President Mahinda Rajapaksa.

Thirteen persons who were injured after the bus they were travelling in had veered off the road and toppled in the Udapussellawa area in Walimada at around ...

Nissan has said it plans to recall about 841,000 vehicles worldwide due to a faulty steering wheel.

There will be showers at several places in the Western, Southern, Sabaragamuwa and Central provinces.

Chairman of the Kelaniya Pradeshiya Sabha Prasanna Ranaweera has been admitted to the Kiribathgoda Hospital this morning, Hospital sources told Ceylon today ...

A French Naval Ship arrived at the Port of Colombo on a goodwill visit on Wednesday (22) with 56 naval personnel on board.

China Development Bank Corporation will lend US$580 million to Sri Lanka to help implement key infrastructure projects, a government document released on ...

Eighteen people have been arrested on suspicion of helping to smuggle Sri Lankan illegal immigrants into Britain in a series of dawn raids across Europe, ...

Milco (Pvt) Ltd, a government entity, is to pay Rs 9 million to secure the services of an auto racer as Brand Ambassador, and display a sticker on his ...

Despite the government's announcement that it will not do away with the 13th Amendment to the Constitution, its coalition partner the Jathika Hela Urumaya ...

Opposition Leader, Ranil Wickremesinghe, while questioning whether it is wrong to prepare for a general election with the aim of toppling the current ...

Divisional Medical Officer of Padiyathalawa and President of the All Ceylon Health Service Association, Dr. A.N.K. Attanayake, came under attack when an ...

Parliamentarian Mangala Samaraweera said the opposition would welcome advice and assistance from anyone to defeat the undemocratic government in power, ...

A Sri Lankan Tamil asylum seeker has become the second person to have an adverse security assessment overturned by Australian Security Intelligence ...

The Sri Lanka army has said that it would reduce the number of military camps in the former rebel stronghold of northern Jaffna and hand over lands back to ...