“There has been no softening of US stand on Sri Lanka with regard to the human rights situation, as being reported in a section of the media”, the State Department said.

These reports appeared the recent meeting of Secretary of State John Kerry with Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa in New York on the sidelines of the annual session of the United Nations General Assembly.

Sri Lanka’s human rights record will be reviewed by the UN Human Rights Committee next week. Scheduled for October 7 and 8, it will be the fifth such review.

The review will cover issues related to rights of persons belonging to minorities, violence against women including domestic violence and counter terrorism measures are due to be discussed. Independence of the judiciary, freedom of expression, freedom of movement, right to life, accountability, prohibition of torture and cruelty and right to take part in the conduct of public affairs will be among the other issues that would come under the lens.
 
The UN Human Rights Committee comprises of 18 independent experts. It is undertaking the review under the provisions of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, (ICCPR). Sri Lanka is a signatory to the covenant.

The Committee will engage in a dialogue with the Sri Lankan delegation on questions relating to the promotion and protection of human rights in the island nation. Colombo has already submitted a report on the status of the implementation of its human rights obligations to the Committee. Several NGOs have also submitted reports, which are at variance with the official stand.

Sri Lankan delegation is also be expected to respond to the allegation that the trial of former army chief Sarath Fonseka, who had contested against Mahinda Rajapaksa in the last presidential election, were politically motivated.
 
 “Sri Lanka looks forward to the opportunity to engage during Sri Lanka’s fifth periodic report under the ICCPR with the human rights committee where we would be able to update and inform the international community on developments in Sri Lanka including efforts of the government to promote and protect human rights,” said Sri Lanka’s Permanent Representative to the UN in Geneva, Ambassador Ravinatha Aryasinha.  

"The only thing that was right was that the Secretary did speak with the Sri Lankan president on the margins of the UN General Assembly," State Department Spokesperson Jen Psaki told reporters in Washington denying such reports in this regard.

"He (Kerry) did so with the express purpose of conveying that US policy with regard to Sri Lanka has not changed and it certainly has not softened," she remarked.

"We would, of course, like our relationship with Sri Lanka to achieve its full potential, but that will only happen if Sri Lanka builds enduring peace and prosperity for all of its diverse ethnic and religious communities," Jen Psaki added.

"And that’s why the Secretary, in no uncertain terms, made clear to the president that Sri Lanka needed to take meaningful steps to act like a country that is no longer at war and instead is now building a future that includes all of its citizens. So certainly it had the opposite purpose," Psaki said.  
 
Media reports in Colombo however quoted government sources to claim a different view point.  President Mahinda Rajapaksa is reported to have told the Cabinet meeting that his discussions with US Secretary of State John Kerry had made him realize that the US had softened its stance on Sri Lanka, these report said.

President Rajapaksa had said that his meetings with John Kerry and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly Session were “fruitful”, and “highly successful”.

“India will not act in a manner that is unfavourable to Sri Lanka”, he reportedly said, adding that the Indian Premier’s “only request” was that Colombo should talk to the Tamil National Alliance (TNA).