In what will be seen as a further blow to its already damaged credibility, the UN human rights council on Wednesday voted in favour of a mild resolution on the situation in Sri Lanka which western nations said would do nothing to help victims of the just-ended civil war or remedy widespread human rights violations.

China, India, Russia and 26 other countries in Asia, Africa and the Middle East, who have a built-in majority on the 47-strong council, backed a resolution supported by Sri Lanka that emphasised the right of states to manage their internal affairs without interference.