United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) today voted for an international inquiry against allegations of Human Rights violations during the civil war in Sri Lanka. The US sponsored resolution was passed with 23 votes in favour and 12 against. 12 countries abstained. India was one of the 12 nations that abstained today.

In the debate preceding the vote, India’s Ambassador at the United Nations Human Rights Council, Dilip Sinha said that India will not support the resolution because international inquiry is intrusive and undermines national sovereignty. He added that the passage of the resolution will be counterproductive to the efforts of reconciliation in Sri Lanka.

India had supported the US resolutions during the last two years, but this time the resolution had sought an international probe under the UN High Commissioner on Human Rights. The resolution had the full backing of United States and the European Union.