US calls on Sri Lanka to safeguard rights of ​ethnic and religious minorities

The United States has called on Sri Lanka to safeguard the rights of ​ethnic and religious minorities.

US State Department Principal Deputy Spokesperson Jalina Porter noted that the United Nations Human Rights Council passed a resolution to promote human rights in Sri Lanka. 

"The United States co-sponsored this resolution and together with the international community calls on Sri Lanka to safeguard the rights of ​ethnic and religious minorities, human rights defenders, and civil society actors, and to take credible and meaningful steps to address its past, promote reconciliation, and guarantee equal access to justice for all its people," she said.

Jalina Porter said the resolution expands reporting requirements for the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights and includes a mandate to collect and preserve evidence for future accountability processes and expresses concern about the trends over the past year. 

She said that the long-term security and prosperity of Sri Lanka depends on respecting human rights today and committing to peace and reconciliation for the future. (Easwaran Rutnam)