In an interview Blake has told the private television channel Etv that the resolution seeks to encourage the government to implement the recommendations made by the Lessons Learned and Reconciliation Commission (LLRC) and also to address the alleged violations of international humanitarian law. When asked why the US is not accepting the government's assurance on implementing the LLRC recommendations Blake replied that when he visited Colombo last month he had the impression that the Sri Lankan government is hesitating whether to go ahead with an action plan on how it will implement the measures recommended by the Commission. He explained that experience of many other countries went through similar insurgencies and failed to take real concrete action on reconciliation and accountability is that those insurgencies retuned with a higher level of frustration and Sri Lanka may face the same risk. He emphasized that for Sri Lanka to achieve full potential of peace it is very important to implement the LLRC recommendations soon. Blake dismissed the fears that the US is seeking economic sanctions against Sri Lanka and said imposing economic sanctions is not an objective of the resolution.
Watch Blake's interview here.
Sri Lanka strongly rejects the US-backed resolution saying that it undermines the government's reconciliation efforts and instead leads to the division of the communities.
The polarization has been evident even before the resolution is taken up for voting in the Council as the Sinhala and Muslim parties protest against the resolution while the major Tamil party, Tamil National Alliance praising India's decision to support the resolution and calling the UNHRC members to support it.
India's decision to support the resolution has hardened the Sinhala nationalists' stance of not to devolve power with the Tamil minority under the 13th Amendment to the constitution, which incidentally India has negotiated in 1987 as a solution to the ethnic issue.
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