Speaking at the Human Rights Council in Geneva on Thursday, 11^th June, during the consideration of China’s Universal Periodic Review (UPR) report, Ambassador Dayan Jayatilleka  made the following statement:   

Thank you, Mr. President. 

Sri Lanka welcomes the remarks of His Excellency Ambassador Li Baodong, this morning and his continuous role in striving for harmony, balance and fair-play in the Human Rights Council.

Mr. President, the world owes the Chinese Communist Party three great contributions to Human Rights: firstly, in the elimination of serfdom and slavery in China, including in the Province of Tibet; secondly, the emancipation of women; and, thirdly the exemplary conduct of the Chinese Revolution with regards to Prisoners of War, both during the Civil War and World War II, despite the inhumane massacres that the Chinese people were subject to. 

Mr. President, Sri Lanka is particularly pleased that China has accepted a great majority of the recommendations, including those of Sri Lanka during this UPR session. We are also pleased that China has rejected those proposals which could wittingly, or unwittingly, contribute to ethnic splitism and extremism in a country that is so important to global stability. Mr. President, Sri Lanka is particularly admiring of China’s policy concerning matters of ethnic identity, and we think that we too can learn greatly from the triple formula of a multi-ethnic, mutli-cultural society, ethnic equality and regional ethnic autonomy. We strongly support the adoption of this report by the Human Rights Council.

Thank you.