'GTF predictions for UNHRC Sri Lanka vote'
Friday, February 21, 2014
Article in Ceylon Today regarding GTF's predictions for the UNHRC vote on Sri Lanka.
http://www.ceylontoday.lk/51-56671-news-detail-gtf-predicts-23-countries-will-vote-against-sl-says-13-countries-will-support-sl-nine-will-abstain-and-two-are-undecided.html
Twenty-three countries will vote for the US resolution against Sri Lanka, at the upcoming United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) sessions in Geneva, the Global Tamil Forum (GTF) predicted yesterday.
The GTF also claimed the US resolution will be based on the report of UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Navi Pillay, as a cover for their wording.
India too would vote against Sri Lanka, the GTF predicted, claiming the prediction is based on the intense campaign results, historical patterns and latest information from capitals and from Geneva.
GTF Spokesperson, Suren Surendiran, told Ceylon Today, they are continuing an intense campaign asking nations to vote against Sri Lanka.
According to GTF prediction, the 23 countries that will vote against Sri Lanka are –Czech Republic, Estonia,Montenegro,Romania,Austria,France,Germany, Ireland,Italy, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, United States of America,Republic of Korea,India, Peru,Argentina, Brazil,Chile, Costa Rica, Sierra Leone, Côte d'Ivoire, Benin, Mexico and the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia.
"We are in constant touch with contacts in capitals.South Africa is likely abstain from voting because they believe that they should remain neutral if they were to be mediators in the future, although ANC issued a statement in 2010 calling for an internationalindependent investigation supporting the UN Panel of Experts report," he said.
The GTF also claims that based on the historical background and recent development, there are 13 countries that would vote against the US resolution. They are: the Russian Federation, Saudi Arabia,United Arab Emirates, Vietnam, Kuwait,Maldives, Pakistan,Philippines,Indonesia,China, Congo, Cuba and Venezuela.
According to GTF, Japan, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Ethiopia, Botswana, Burkina Faso, Gabon, South Africa and Namibia would abstain from voting, while Morocco and Algeria are 'unpredictable.'
The GTF reiterated that the forthcoming US resolution is not against the people of Sri Lanka but against the government.