Motion against SL rejected in German Parliament

2 March 2013 03:27 am

A motion against Sri Lanka titled – ‘Use the UN Human Rights Council and demand Observance of Laws, Human Rights and Reconciliation Process in Sri Lanka’ has been defeated at the German Bundestag (German Parliament).

The motion had been put forward on Thursday by the opposition Social Democratic party (SPD) group in the Parliament and signed by its chairman Dr. Frank-Walter Steinmeier, former candidate for German Chancellor and former Federal Minister of Foreign Affairs.

Parliamentarian Jürgen Klimke speaking for the ruling Christian Democratic Party (CDU) party group had argued that there is no need for the motion as the Federal Government was already actively working with the international community and the Sri Lankan government to address issues related to it. The motion had been defeated by the votes of the governing coalition in the German Bundestag.

Tom Koenigs, parliamentarian of Alliance 90 / the Greens and Chairman of the Human Rights Committee of the German Parliament in his speech however had argued that it was the responsibility of the international community to prevent internal conflicts from developing into Human Rights violations. Tom Koenigs had further stated that Germany should be the first to contribute towards better protection from grave human rights violations.  (Asian Tribune)