India is not comfortable with the US-sponsored resolution on Sri Lanka at the UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC), which asks for “unfettered access” in the island nation — which Colombo feels impinges on sovereignty.

The draft text of the resolution moved by the US “urges the Government of Sri Lanka to cooperate with special procedures mandate holders and formally respond to outstanding requests, including by providing unfettered access to the Special Rapporteurs on independence of judges and lawyers; human rights defenders; freedom of expression; freedom of association and assembly; extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions; minority issues; and the Working Group on enforced or involuntary disappearances; and discrimination against women”.

Last year, Delhi had managed to dilute the “intrusive nature” of the resolution and this year as well Indian interlocutors are working with Colombo and the US on the text of the resolution.

While Delhi is in talks with Colombo, the US and several western countries, India has expressed “hope” at the UNHRC that the investigations of allegations of human rights violations and loss of civilian lives will be “independent and credible”. The statement by the Indian representative at the UNHRC also said on March 15 that “we look forward to speedy resolution of the residual issues pertaining to the resettlement and rehabilitation process, where welcome progress has been made”.

In a statement placed on the record by India on Friday, Delhi’s representative said while expressing appreciation of Sri Lanka’s acceptance of India’s recommendation to implement the recommendations of the Lessons Learnt and Reconciliation Commission (LLRC) Report and to promote trilingual policy, India also expressed the hope that other issues like early progress towards reconciliation, reduction of high security zones, return of private land by the military and phasing out of the security forces in civilian activities in the Northern Province will be done in an effective and timely manner. “These are issues which have been stressed in our November 2012 statement as well,” the Indian official said.

It may be recalled that India had made a statement on November 1, 2012 in the Working Group of the Human Rights Council during the discussion of the National Report of Sri Lanka for the Universal Periodic Review (UPR), wherein Delhi had made several recommendations to Sri Lanka on their UPR.

Government sources said the report of the office of the UN High Commissioner of Human Rights has also acknowledged significant progress by Sri Lanka on rebuilding infrastructure and resettlement of IDPs, India Express reports.