UNHRC vote:India doesn't expect huge effect on ties with Lanka

NEW DELHI: Even as a partner of Sri Lanka's ruling coalition suggested scrapping of preferential trade treatment to India, New Delhi does not expect its voting for the UNHRC resolution against the island nation to have a huge effect on its relations with Colombo.

Sources said a prime reason for India's backing the US-sponsored resolution against Colombo at the UN human rights body was the unhappiness over the tardy progress made by Sri Lanka in devolution of political powers to Tamils.

They, however, pointed out that India had succeeded in toning down the language of the resolution to ensure that any visit by the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) to to monitor the progress in implementation of the report of the Lessons Learnt from Reconcilation Commission (LLRC) takes place only with the concurrence of the Sri Lankan government.

"We have always had a problem with other countries advising on what a nation should do. So, we changed that a bit," the sources said.

They pointed out that the new language of the resolution stresses on consultation with and consent of the government of Sri Lanka while dealing with the issue.

Explaining India's vote at the UN Human Rights Council, they said though Sri Lanka has done a lot on rehabilitation of the internally displaced persons, the political process is not moving to the extent expected, the sources said.

The resolution encourages Sri Lanka to speed up the process which will help bring ethnic Tamils in the political mainstream, an issue on which there has been "very little movement", said the sources.

The sources made it clear that India had maintained a balance between concrete progress on rehabilitation and action on the political devolution of powers.

They said a contented population is in the interest of the safety and security of every country.