Colombo: ‘India is a loser’, the Sri Lankan media on Friday proclaimed in comments, a day after Colombo faced censure at the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva, saying New Delhi had failed to carry other South Asian nations with it on the issue.
“India has failed to carry Asia, or at least South Asia with it. In other words, Sri Lanka has won against India in Asia,” the pro-government newspaper ‘Island’ commented in lead, screaming that India had joined US to defeat Lanka.
Most of the papers still saw a sliver-lining in the gloom despite US sponsored resolution being carried through as they claimed “Might overrules the right”, and said that China and Russia had stood with Sri Lanka.
“The cornered badger bravely fought the mastiffs of neo- imperialism and went on fighting yesterday,” the Island said. It said that the Indian intervention had resulted in the inclusion of key operative words in the resolution which were more acceptable to Sri Lanka.
Its editorial captioned ‘a defeat as good as victory’ said: “The US and its friends should be ashamed that they, in spite of their combined might could muster only 24 votes”. Commenting on India’s decision to back the resolution, it said by doing so the Indian government had “plunged country into an unholy diplomatic and political mire”. “India has been a loser in Geneva, though it helped the US win,” it said.
It opined that US will further embolden Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Jayalalithaa and others to adopt a “more confrontational approach in dealing with the centre.” The state-run Daily News said the 24-nation which backed the resolution calling for a credible investigation into the alleged war crimes were being destructive.
The state-owned Tamil paper ‘Thinakaran’ shared the view that US win was a reflection of the unfair defeat of fairness and responsibility while the independent Thinakkural said the international community would be closely monitoring Sri Lanka’s action over accountability and reconciliation.
Although the majority Sinhala language papers chose not to comment editorially, all of them lead with the resolution outcome. The state-owned Dinamina said ‘US wins by whisker; might overrules right’.
The independent newspapers chose to highlight the Indian factor in the vote. Lakbima said ‘US resolution adopted; India votes in favour, Mawbima read ‘Anti-Lanka resolution adopted’, Divayina said ‘Geneva resolution adopted – India says will ensure not harm to Sri Lanka’ and Lankadeepa read ‘US resolution adopted –India supports, China and Russia with Sri Lanka.’
India yesterday voted for the US-sponsored resolution at the UN’s top human rights body censuring Sri Lanka for alleged rights violations during the war against LTTE. (PTI)
