US embassy cable - 05NEWDELHI6148

C O N F I D E N T I A L NEW DELHI 006148 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/07/2015 
TAGS: PREL, PHUM, IN, Human Rights 
SUBJECT: MEA HINTS AT COY INDIAN SUPPORT FOR HUMAN RIGHTS 
COUNCIL 
 
REF: A. STATE 140192 
 
     B. NEW DELHI 3973 
 
Classified By: PolCouns Geoff Pyatt for reasons 1.4 (B, D) 
 
1.  (C) PolCouns delivered Ref A points on July 29 to MEA 
Joint Secretaries Hamid Ali Rao (UN Political) and Manjeev 
Puri (UN Economic and Social).  In a follow-up meeting with 
Puri on August 8, the Joint Secretary assured us that the US 
shouldn't worry about the Human Rights Council (HRC), as he 
assumed that the US-backed version would be passed.  All the 
drafts of the outcome document have included proposals for an 
HRC that mirrors US goals, he emphasized. 
 
A Couple of Differences, But We'll Go Along 
------------------------------------------- 
 
2.  (C) The GOI agrees with the US position on the thematic 
issues related to human rights actions in the UN, Puri said. 
However, there are two areas of divergence.  First, while the 
US favors targeting individual countries, India has always 
opposed this.  India finds that it is easier to right wrongs 
through encouragement rather than shaming, Puri explained. 
Second, India believes we should set the bar very high for 
any criteria disqualifying a country to sit on the HRC. 
There should be something equivalent to a "felony conviction" 
before disqualifying a country, Puri argued, adding that just 
as the US had lost an election to the CHR once, it too could 
find itself on the wrong side of a simple vote to disqualify. 
 The UN should have something more concrete than a sentiment 
that the country is a "bad guy."  Pressed on this point, Puri 
agreed that a regime like the Taliban is clearly outside the 
pale, and should not participate in a body like the HRC.  He 
added his understanding that the UN Charter already provides 
for suspension of a member whose conduct is egregious. 
 
3.  (C) After PolCouns reminded Puri of Ambassador 
Tahir-Kheli's comments that India could advance its UNSC 
cause by partnering with the US on issues like the HRC, Puri 
reassured us that India "would not be a spoiler" in 
establishing the HRC.  However, in order to maintain its 
credibility in the NAM and keep support for its UNSC bid, 
India could not jump on the bandwagon right away with the US. 
 In the meantime, he continued, India was helping "in a big 
way" on issues like the Peace Building Commission. 
 
Comment: Let's Talk More to India 
--------------------------------- 
 
4.  (C) Puri's puzzlement at our concern about India's level 
of support for the proposed HRC is an indication of the 
extent to which New Delhi is actually backing many of our 
most important priorities for UN reform, even if Indian 
attention remains focused on Security Council expansion.  We 
need to engage India earlier and more broadly on UN reform 
issues such as the HRC, in New York and elsewhere, 
recognizing that the public posture India presents to its NAM 
partners may not reflect actual GOI intentions. 
BLAKE