By Sandun A Jayasekera

Foreign Minister Ali Sabry, PC will have to do a lot of explaining before the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) on the economic and social disaster that has befallen Sri Lanka under the incumbent regime when he delivers a statement at the Council during the Interactive Dialogue on Sri Lanka scheduled for today, the Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) claimed yesterday.  

The 51st annual session of the UNHRC is scheduled to be held from September 12 to October 07, 2022 in Geneva.  

Minister of Foreign Affairs Ali Sabry will lead the Sri Lanka delegation and deliver a statement at the Council during the Interactive Dialogue on Sri Lanka scheduled for today. The Minister of Justice, Prison Affairs and Constitutional Reforms Dr. Wijeyadasa Rajapakshe has also joined the official delegation of Sri Lanka.   

The chief opposition whip and the senior vice president of the SJB, Lakshman Kiriella told Daily Mirror that the UNHRC was to raise the issue of economic crimes social unrest and the breakdown of law and order in the country in the recent past has brought utmost and unprecedented misery, chaos and mayhem to 22 million people of Sri Lanka.  
This is a new development. The UNHRC is not concerned much about economic and social issues but mainly on the violations of human rights and fundamental rights of a country under normal circumstances. But the news reaching us from Geneva indicates that the UNHRC is highly worried about the suffering of 22 million Sri Lankans brought about by an incompetent, aggressive and inefficient regime, Kiriella said. 
Kiriella noted that the UNHRC may also draw its attention to the strict conditions laid down by the IMF at the conclusion of the staff level talks with the government such as the necessity to have a consensus among the creditors of Sri Lanka to restructure her debts and having a regime that commands a clear mandate from the people before agreeing for a bailout package.  

This is in addition to concerns expressed by the EU and other members of the global community on Sri Lanka’s dismal record of human rights and the use of the much criticized Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA) against unarmed protesters who staged protests they are entitled under the provisions of the basic law of the country.   
“The government’s action to appoint 37 state ministers at a cost of Rs. 1 billion while all Sri Lankans undergo untold hardships will not make the UN body happy at all. That is why I say that Minister Sabry will have to make a lot of explanations to the UNHRC as the global body is also disappointed on the dismal performance of Sri Lanka despite repeated requests to honour and protect democracy, rule of law and rights of citizens,” Kiriella stressed.