India gears up to serve in Security Council with new outlook

United Nations, Dec 16 (PTI) India is gearing up to
serve the powerful UN Security Council as a non-permanent
member after a gap of 19 years with a fresh outlook on several
international issues, especially human rights.
India will return to the Security Council on January
1, 2011 for a two-year period along with South Africa,
Colombia, Germany and Portugal.
"Over the last year we have been repositioning
ourselves on issues...I can anticipate that we will be much
more upfront and even demanding on human rights issues," said
Hardeep Singh Puri, India's ambassador to the UN.
"That reflects the changing priorities in India," he
told PTI.
"I don't see us having any problem in terms of where
our interest lies and where the interest of the permanent
members lie including the West...in fact I think we are on the
same page with them on most of these issues."
One indication of this stance was the case of
Iran where India abstained on a resolution dealing with human
rights in that country, instead of voting against it.
"Quite likely we will review the situation and see
how the situation develops and there may be even a further
movement in the vote," Puri said.
The top diplomat further stressed that while India
is part of G-77 and the Non-Aligned world, this affiliation
would not prevent it from taking actions and positions that
contributed to the "larger public good."
"If this means going against positions that some
groups take then we will have no hesitation," he said.
Puri, however, dismissed reports that India's changing
position had to do with appeasing the US and other Western
countries in order to secure a permanent seat on the Security
Council.
"India takes position in a manner in which India
deems appropriate and we think it is the right thing to do and
it is in our interest...I don't subscribe to the fact that we
will take positions because we are extra accommodative."
The situation in Myanmar, however, is more
complicated.
While the Western nations are ready to openly slam
the regime for human rights abuses, India, China and other
south-east Asian nations in the neighbourhood are more
cautious in their approach.
India and China have been criticised by human rights
groups for going soft on the Myanmar's military regime to
secure its trade interests and President Barack Obama has
called on New Delhi to be tougher.
"We prefer the silent counseling approach... The
objectives are the same, the question is what modalities you
use," Puri said.