EU may revive anti-Sri Lanka resolution

Emboldened by Sri Lanka’s defeat at UN Human Rights Council elections, some European Union members are expected to try and push through a anti-Sri Lanka resolution which they had previously contemplated but abandoned for want of support. Scandinavian members of the EU along with Germany which had been gunning for Sri Lanka because of its human rights record had been toying with the idea of an anti-Sri Lanka resolution last year.

Though a draft resolution was in circulation it was not officially presented. The EU sponsors’ assessment was that it will not pass muster at the 47-member council which they felt was dominated by countries which too had suspect human rights records. They believed such a resolution would be out-voted by like-minded members of the council.

Now that the election last week in New York had seen some new members enter the council and Sri Lanka being ousted, the EU members are expected to test the waters for an anti-Sri Lanka resolution. Sri Lanka’s failure to win the support of the requisite votes to gain one of the four places for Asia up for grabs, diplomats feel, would strengthen the case of those in the EU who wish to condemn Colombo on its human rights record.

Even if the reconstituted council still does not tilt the balance in favour of a critical EU resolution, it is felt that they will try for a strong condemnation in the European Parliament as a less influential alternative.

The EU’s Strategy Paper 2007-2013 on relations with Sri Lanka states: “The human rights and humanitarian situation in Sri Lanka deteriorated drastically since April 2006,” and goes on to list several of the growing human rights problems.Diplomats also believe that the recent debacle when Sri Lanka was ousted from the UNHRC when seeking a second term would also be used by European critics of Colombo to argue against extending the GSP Plus concession granted by the EU to Sri Lanka.

Since an acceptable human rights record and the adherence to several key UN conventions and treaties are key criteria for the grant of this trade concession first extended to Colombo after the December 2004 tsunami, EU members critical of Sri Lanka are expected to press for its withdrawal.

Diplomatic sources however believe that eventually Sri Lanka will have the GPS Plus extended for another period. However they say, the more amenable members of the EU will be under tremendous pressure from other member states and lobby groups to deny this trade concession.As one diplomat said referring to state and non-state critics of Sri Lanka including pro-LTTE lobbyists “they smell blood now after Sri Lanka failed to qualify in New York. They think they have got Sri Lanka on the rack.”

The first signs of any moves would be seen in Brussels and when the UNHRC meets again later this year.