M'SIA BACKS SRI LANKAN RESOLUTION BASED ON NON-INTERFERENCE STAND

By Muin Abdul Majid

DAMASCUS, May 25 (Bernama) -- Malaysia has expressed support for a draft
resolution introduced by Sri Lanka at the Human Rights Council (HRC) in Geneva,
in pursuant of Malaysia's principled position with regard to non-interference in
the internal affairs of other countries.

Foreign Minister Anifah Aman said the members of the Organisation of the
Islamic Conference (OIC) and Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) in the HRC had also
expressed support for the Sri Lankan draft resolution based on the same
principle.

The draft resolution relating to the situation in Sri Lanka reaffirmed the
principles and purposes of the United Nations (UN), including the principles of
non-interference in matters which were essentially within the domestic
jurisdiction of states, he said in a statement to Bernama.

"This is precisely the case with Sri Lanka, and it has the sovereign rights
to undertake appropriate means in dealing with the internal situation, without
the interference of other countries or the UN," Anifah said, adding that this
important principle had been endorsed by NAM as well as OIC.

It was issued following Malaysian Indian Congress (MIC) president S. Samy
Vellu's statement on May 23 asking Malaysia not to support the Sri Lankan draft
resolution calling for UN member nations not to interfere in the internal
affairs of Sri Lanka. MIC is a component party in the ruling Barisan National
(BN) or National Front.

He had said Tamils in Malaysia constituted 1.4 million of 1.8 million
Indians in the country and as such, their feelings had to be respected.

According to Samy Vellu, there had to be a war tribunal in Sri Lanka to
bring people who perpetrated crimes against the Tamil community there in their
war against the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE).

Anifah said the Sri Lankan government had undertaken efforts, on its own and
together with the UN and other international organisations, to extend
humanitarian assistance as well as promote and protect human rights.

The Malaysian foreign minister said this included the visit by UN
secretary-general Ban Ki-moon to Sri Lanka on May 22 which reflected that Sri
Lanka was extending cooperation to the UN and other international organisations.

"We are hopeful that the Sri Lankan government would further undertake
concerted efforts to bring about a conducive environment for all segments of the
people of Sri Lanka to come and work together towards finding a fair and
comprehensive political solution which is acceptable to all parties, besides
contributing positively to promoting lasting peace and stability in Sri Lanka,"
said Anifah.

He said the international community should be supportive of the
reconstruction efforts and, at the same time, ensure the promotion and
protection of all human rights, including economic, social and cultural rights.

"The draft resolution also outlines efforts by the Sri Lankan government in
the future to protect and promote human rights, rights of minorities and
others," according to the foreign minister.

The Sri Lankan government had officially announced that the LTTE had been
crushed by the armed forces and its founder-leader Velupillai Prabhakaran had
been killed, along with his top aides.

Anifah left Damascus on Sunday after leading the Malaysian delegation at the
36th Session of the Council of Foreign Ministers of the OIC.
-- BERNAMA