India has reiterated its call to Sri Lanka to fulfill its commitments to “protecting the interests of Tamils” by "conducting provincial council elections" and "meaningful power devolution" under the 13th Amendment of the Sri Lankan Consitution, a step, New Delhi said, is in the country’s own interest. 

The remark came during the ongoing 49th Session of the Human Rights Council which was discussing an updated report by the Office of High Commissioner for Human Rights on promoting reconciliation, accountability, and human rights in Sri Lanka. 

“India believes that it is in Sri Lanka’s own interest that the expectations of Tamils in Sri Lanka for equality, justice, peace, and dignity, within a united Sri Lanka, are fulfilled. This applies equally to the commitments made by the Sri Lankan Government on meaningful devolution, including through the 13th Amendment to the Sri Lankan constitution,” Indra Mani Pandey, Permanent Representative of India, said on Friday. 

New Delhi, he added, has taken note of Colombo’s continued engagements with the international community and other relevant organizations on the human rights situation and reconciliation issues in Sri Lanka. 

“We would like such engagements and productive and purposeful dialogue to continue among the relevant stakeholders,” Pandey said. 

Significantly, earlier in January, prominent Sri Lankan Tamil MPs and leaders wrote a letter to Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, seeking his intervention in asking the Sri Lankan government to implement the 13th amendment and to beyond it for meaningful devolution of power to address the country's long-pending issue of Tamils' political rights.

Speaking during the session, UN’s High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet also acknowledged on Friday that there had been some recent signs of increased engagements by Sri Lankan authorities with UN agencies on reforms, including its draconian Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA). 

However, on the issue of accountability, Bachelet said, “Victims and their families continue to be denied truth and justice.  And the Government’s response to criticism has constricted democratic and civic space, including for essential human rights advocacy.”

She also urged the Sri Lankan government to acknowledge the flights of the victims and the families of the disappeared, urgently determine the fate of the whereabouts of victims, bring the perpetrators to justice and provide reparations. 

(SAM)