US to consider international effort if Sri Lanka fails to implement recommendations in resolution

The United States will consider an international effort rather than a Sri Lankan-led effort if Sri Lanka is not forthcoming to implement the actions decreed by the resolution just adopted at the United Nations Human Rights Council in Geneva.
When asked what the U.S. would do if Sri Lanka does not make any progress in implementing the recommendations, the Spokesperson of the State Department Ms. Victoria Nuland replied at the press briefing Friday, that the international community will explore other steps they can take against Sri Lankan government. "We want to see the Sri Lankans take their own decisions. As we've said before, if those are not forthcoming, the international community will look at whether there are other steps we can take," she said. "We have talked in the past about whether there ought to be an international effort on this front rather than a Sri Lankan-led effort," she added. Responding to a question on what Sri Lanka should do next following the adoption of the resolution, the Spokesperson said the Sri Lankan government should implement the plan that it has never implemented, referring to the government's National Action Plan to implement recommendations of the Lessons Learnt and Reconciliation Commission (LLRC). "They should implement the plan. They should listen to the words of the international community. As you know, we welcome the passage of this new resolution; 24 other countries also voted for it. We call on the Government of Sri Lanka to fulfill its obligations to its own people," Ms. Nuland stressed. "The resolution very clearly expresses the support of the international community for Sri Lanka, addressing its outstanding issues related to reconciliation and for meeting its obligations for accountability, which it has not yet done," she emphasized. The Spokesperson said Sri Lanka had ample warning that a resolution would be tabled if not enough progress is shown on the earlier resolution. "We (the U.S.) had made clear, including when senior Sri Lankans had visited Washington, that if they didn't take steps that they could - would see this kind of a resolution coming forward. That was about six months ago, and we didn't see any progress," she noted. Sri Lanka has rejected the US-sponsored resolution, adopted at the UNHRC with 25 votes in favor, 13 votes against and 8 abstentions. -->