FOR the third time this year, Sri Lanka’s human rights record will shift into global focus when the UN’s Human Rights Council takes up post-war progress on investigating alleged rights abuses … during its 24th session. …

The sessions begin just one week after UN High Commissioner Navi Pillay concluded her fact-finding mission to Sri Lanka. …

High Commissioner Pillay’s visit, while … uneventful apart from certain imprudent remarks by senior ministers, ended with a bang. The UN envoy’s stinging statements … have left the government reeling and drawn an … unrelenting flurry of rebuttals from senior administration officials.In the first flush of anger, Colombo has sought to discredit and dismiss Pillay’s assertions that the country’s commitment to human rights was found wanting. …

What it may perhaps have lost sight of is that the High Commissioner’s parting remarks are likely to be widely endorsed by the Council. …

The only plausible way to shift this focus and attempt to restore the country’s image overseas is to credibly address concerns being … repeatedly raised internationally. …

Ahead of Pillay’s visit the government took several steps … including the setting up of a commission to investigate disappearances. … Going forward, taking these steps to their credible … fruition will convince Pillay and the government’s critics internationally that Colombo is finally serious about getting its house in order. … — (Sept 9)