UNHRC Resolutions on Sri Lanka: How countries have voted
Sri Lanka suffered 30 years of terrorism by LTTE banned by 32 countries even 10 years after Sri Lanka eliminated LTTE militarily. Sri Lanka saw nothing beyond diplomatic statements condemning ‘alleged LTTE attacks’ by the so-called international community for every suicide, bombing, assassination and mayhem caused by LTTE. However, it was only post-LTTE defeat that the international community began demanding answers for civilians killed, how the defeat of LTTE was conducted etc… when LTTE was killing unarmed civilians in villages, towns on passenger buses, trains etc there were no resolutions on Sri Lanka. This is indeed strange. In May 2009 Sri Lanka had a favorable resolution which ended up in 3 successive anti-SL Resolutions but a series of procedural fallacies and illegalities need to be highlighted in the manner UNHRC and former UNSG have conducted affairs on Sri Lanka.
In 2009 immediately after the conflict ended, Germany called for accountability from Sri Lanka. 3 million Germans died after war ended (2m were women and children 1m were prisoners of war) – British historian Giles MacDonogh in ‘After the Reich: The Brutal History of the Allied Occupation”. However, Sri Lanka managed to counter support and produce a Resolution favorable to Sri Lanka with 29 countries supporting Sri Lanka, 12 countries voting against the pro-Sri Lanka resolution and 6 countries abstaining.
2009 voting in favor of Sri Lanka (29 countries)
Angola, Azerbaijan, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Bolivia (Plurinational State of), Brazil, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, China, Cuba, Djibouti, Egypt, Ghana, India, Indonesia, Jordan, Madagascar, Malaysia, Nicaragua, Nigeria, Pakistan, Philippines, Qatar, Russian Federation, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, South Africa, Uruguay, Zambia;
2009 voting against Sri Lanka (12 countries)
Bosnia and Herzegovina, Canada, Chile, France, Germany, Italy, Mexico, Netherlands, Slovakia, Slovenia, Switzerland, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland;
2009 abstaining from voting (6 countries)
Argentina, Gabon, Japan, Mauritius, Republic of Korea, Ukraine.
Since 2012 – Sri Lanka has seen 3 successive Resolutions against Sri Lanka leading to an investigation by the UNHRC on Sri Lanka (OISL)
2012 voting for Anti Sri Lanka Resolution (24 countries)
Austria, Belgium, Benin, Cameroon, Chile, Costa Rica, Czech Republic, Guatemala, Hungary, India, Italy, Libya, Mauritius, Mexico, Nigeria, Norway, Peru, Poland, Republic of Moldova, Romania, Spain, Switzerland, United States of America, Uruguay
2012 voting against Anti Sri Lanka Resolution (15 countries)
Bangladesh, China, Congo, Cuba, Ecuador, Indonesia, Kuwait, Maldives, Mauritania, Philippines, Qatar, Russian Federation, Saudi Arabia, Thailand, Uganda
2012 Abstaining from voting for Anti Sri Lanka Resolution (8 countries)
Angola, Botswana, Burkina Faso, Djibouti, Jordan, Kyrgyzstan, Malaysia, Senegal
2013 voting for Anti Sri Lanka Resolution (24 countries)
Argentina, Austria, Benin, Brazil, Chile, Costa Rica, Côte d’Ivoire, Czech Republic, Estonia, Germany, Guatemala, India, Ireland, Italy, Libya, Montenegro, Peru, Poland, Republic of Korea, Republic of Moldova, Romania, Sierra Leone, Spain, Switzerland, United States of America
2013 voting against Anti Sri Lanka Resolution (13 countries)
Congo, Ecuador, Indonesia, Kuwait, Maldives, Mauritania, Pakistan, Philippines, Qatar, Thailand, Uganda, United Arab Emirates, Venezuela (Bolivarian Republic of)
2013 Abstaining from voting for Anti Sri Lanka Resolution (8 countries)
Angola, Botswana, Burkina Faso, Ethiopia, Japan, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Malaysia]
2014 voting for Anti Sri Lanka Resolution (23 countries)
Argentina, Austria, Benin, Botswana, Brazil, Chile, Costa Rica, Côte d’Ivoire, Czech Republic, Estonia, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Mexico, Montenegro, Peru, Republic of Korea, Romania, Sierra Leone, the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, United States of America
2014 voting against Anti Sri Lanka Resolution (12 countries)
Algeria, China, Congo, Cuba, Kenya, Maldives, Pakistan, Russian Federation, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Venezuela (Bolivarian Republic of), Viet Nam
2014 Abstaining from voting for Anti Sri Lanka Resolution (12 countries)
Burkina Faso, Ethiopia, Gabon, India, Indonesia, Japan, Kazakhstan, Kuwait, Morocco, Namibia, Philippines, South Africa
(Ironically 2014 vote places the against and abstain number more than the countries voting in favor of it – how did UNHRC pass this Resolution?)
Our Appreciations to countries
- China
- Russia
- Cuba
- Vietnam
- Thailand
- Bangladesh
- Maldives
- Pakistan
- Azerbaijan
- Madagascar
- Nicaragua
- Venezuela
- Bolivia
- Egypt
- Algeria
- Bahrain
- Qatar
- Saudi Arabia
- UAE
- Mauritiana
- Ecuador
- Ghana
- Congo
- Uganda
- Zambia
Why did Cameroon that voted in favor of Sri Lanka in 2009 vote against Sri Lanka in 2012?
Why did Indonesia & Philippines who voted in favor of Sri Lanka in 2009, 2012, 2013 abstain in 2014?
Why did Senegal that voted favorably for Sri Lanka in 2009 abstain in 2012?
Why did Malaysia & Angola who voted favorably for Sri Lanka in 2009 abstain from voting in 2012 & 2013?
Why did South Africa who voted favorably for Sri Lanka in 2009 abstain from voting in 2014?
Why did Burkina Faso who voted favorably for Sri Lanka in 2009 abstain from voting in 2012, 2013, 2014?
Why did Djibouti & Jordan that voted favorably for Sri Lanka in 2009 abstain from voting in 2012?
Kenya abstained from voting in 2013 but voted against the 2014 Resolution.
Pattern in voting
US drafted the 2012, 2013, 2014 Resolutions against Sri Lanka
Italy & Chile have voted against Sri Lanka in all 4 Resolutions (2009, 2012, 2013, 2014)
Mexico & Switzerland have voted against Sri Lanka in 2009, 2012, 2013,
Germany has voted against Sri Lanka in 2009, 2013, 2014
France & UK has voted against Sri Lanka in 2009, 2014
Bosnia, Canada, Netherlands, Slovakia, Slovenia voted against Sri Lanka in 2009
Austria, Benin, Costa Rica, Czech Republic, Peru, Romania, US voted against Sri Lanka in 2012, 2013, 2014
Why did Chile, Libya, Poland, Moldova & Spain vote against Sri Lanka in 2012 & 2013?
Why did Belgium, Guatemala, Hungary, Norway vote against Sri Lanka in 2012?
Why did India that voted in favor of Sri Lanka in 2009, vote against Sri Lanka in 2012 & 2013 but abstain from voting in 2014?
Why did Kuwait who voted against Sri Lanka in 2012, 2013 abstain from voting in 2014?
Why did Mauritius that abstained from voting in 2009 vote against Sri Lanka in 2012?
Why did Cameroon, Nigeria, Uruguay who voted favorably for Sri Lanka in 2009 vote against Sri Lanka in 2012?
Why did Ivory Coast, Estonia, Ireland, Montenegro & Sierra Leone vote against Sri Lanka in 2013 & 2014?
Why did Brazil that voted in favor of Sri Lanka in 2009 vote against Sri Lanka in 2013, 2014?
Why did Argentina that abstained from voting in favor of Sri Lanka in 2009 vote against Sri Lanka in 2013 & 2014?
Why did Korea that abstained in 2009 vote against Sri Lanka in 2013?
Why did Poland, Moldova, Spain vote against Sri Lanka in 2012 & 2013?
Why did Botswana that abstained in 2012 & 2013 vote against Sri Lanka in 2014?
Why did Macedonia vote against Sri Lanka in 2014?
Why did Ethiopia abstain from voting in 2013 & 2014?
Why did Gabon abstain from voting in 2009 and 2014?
Why has Japan abstained from voting in 2009, 2013 & 2014?
Why did Kazakhstan abstain from voting in 2013 & 2014?
Why did Kyrgyzstan abstain from voting in 2012?
Why did Morocco, Namibia abstain from voting in 2014?
Why did Ukraine abstain from voting in 2009?
What can we make out of these voting patterns?
- The 25 countries on this list that have voted favorably on behalf of Sri Lanka in an international arena must be applauded & appreciated. They must always have a special place for their support. Special mention must be made of China, Russia, & Pakistan who have given eloquent speeches on behalf of Sri Lanka.
- Countries that have voted against Sri Lanka – Italy & Chile (vote against SL in all 4 Resolutions), Austria, Belgium, Benin, Bosnia, Canada, Chile, Costa Rica, Czech Republic, Estonia, France, Germany, Guatemala, Hungary, Ivory Coast, Ireland, Libya, Macedonia, Montenegro, Mexico, Moldova, Netherlands, Norway, Peru, Poland, Romania, Spain, Sierra Leone, Switzerland, Slovakia, Slovenia, UK, US
- Countries that have voted favorably for Sri Lanka in 2009 but voted against Sri Lanka – Cameroon, Nigeria, Uruguay, Brazil (why did Sri Lanka lose their vote?)
- Countries that have voted favourably for Sri Lanka in 2009 but abstained voting – India voted favorably in 2009, voted against Sri Lanka in 2012 & 2013 & abstained in 2014 (What prompted India to change?
- Countries that have abstained voting in 2009 but voted against Sri Lanka – Mauritius, Argentina, Korea, Botswana (why did these countries make a drastic decision?)
- Countries that voted against Sri Lanka but have changed stand in final 2014 Resolution – Kuwait (has Sri Lanka only won over 1 country?)
- Countries that have abstained from voting – Ethiopia, Gabon, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Morocco, Namibia, Ukraine & Japan (why can’t Sri Lanka convert these countries – it is very strange to note Japan’s stand)
34 countries have been voting against Sri Lanka while 25 countries have voted favorably for Sri Lanka. Some countries that abstained initially went on to either vote against Sri Lanka or vote in favor of Sri Lanka.
How many of these countries know the exact background to Sri Lanka’s conflict. Has the Foreign Ministry and diplomatic corps briefed their counterparts and appraised them of what Sri Lanka endured for 30 years and how Sri Lanka took the decision to defeat LTTE and how Sri Lanka carried out a military-cum-humanitarian rescue operation. Did Sri Lanka’s diplomats explain and give opportunity for these countries to ask their questions and relieve their doubts. Or is the UNHRC voting system some kind of rigged voting where powerful countries decide to draft resolutions and then call their satellite states and demand they get their representatives to vote against targeted countries. Is this how UNHRC voting takes place?
As far as we know Sri Lanka suffered 30 years of gruesome terror – doesn’t the victims of LTTE terror deserve some peace and relief from the mayhem and killings suffered as a result of LTTE killings? Why is the world asking questions on how LTTE was defeated when for 30 years the world did not bother about how LTTE was killing innocent people.
Shenali D Waduge
