Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa has said she was dismayed over the equivocal and prevaricating statements made by Prime Minister Manmohan Sihgh and External Affairs Minister Salman Khurshid over the Sri lankan Tamil issue.
“They do not give a clear indication of India’s stance, particularly with reference to the genocide which has taken place in Sri lanka resulting in enormous loss of innocent, civilian lives and gross violation of human rights. It was disappointing that India had maintained a deafening silence when the US-sponsored draft was taken up for discussion in the on-going UNHRC session,” Jayalalithaa said in a letter addressed to the Prime Minister on Monday.
The Chief Minister wanted India to incorporate necessary independent amendments and changes to strengthen the resolution moved by the United States in the current session of the UNHRC at Geneva.
As agitation by the students demanding strong measures against Sri lanka spread to all over the State, the Tamil Nadu Government ordered the closure of all arts and science colleges indefinitely. The Chief Minister’s letter to the Prime Minister comes in the backdrop of the agitation and protest marches in Tamil Nadu over the Sri lankan issue.
Jayalalithaa asked the Prime Minister to take a strong, historic and courageous stance over the indifference of Sri lanka to requests by the international community of nations that the Tamils in the island nation are provided with dignity of life, equal opportunities and social justice. The Chief Minister pointed out that the Sri lankan Government has failed to implement even the toned down resolutions passed by the 19th Human Rights Council meeting held last year in Geneva.
She said Tamils in Tamil Nadu and the Tamil diaspora spread across the world were legitimately outraged and incensed over the impunity with which the Sri lankan Government is ignoring international sentiments and binding resolutions relating to reconciliation and accountability for the war crimes and genocide committed in the closing stages of the civil war in Sri lanka and the ongoing gross human rights abuses.
“To assuage the legitimate sense of outrage and deeply hurt sentiments it is absolutely important that India takes a strong stand in support of the US sponsored Resolution in the 22nd Session of the UN Human Rights Council and moves necessary independent amendments to further strengthen the Resolution,” said Jayalalithaa.
The latest report of the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights is a continued and sorry saga of human rights violations against the Tamils in Sri lanka, said Jayalaluithaa. “The report of OHCHR indicates that Sri lanka is yet to act on many of the recommendations made by the lessons learnt and Reconciliation Commission and it has not given access to the special procedures mandate holders. The report also notes that much needs to be done in the area of justice, reconciliation and resumption of livelihoods and notes the continuance of serious human rights violations against the Tamils. They continue to suffer as second class citizens. They are still often expelled from their homes and subjected to harassment, discrimination and torture. There is no indication that the Sri lankan Government’s obduracy in resisting a fair investigation into the genocide and war crimes has ended. There is no evidence to show that there is either a conscious policy on demilitarisation or withdrawal from Tamil civilian lands. There is no credible policy of rehabilitation and reconstruction of the Tamil livelihoods,” said Jayalalithaa.
She said the UNHRC session is the most appropriate forum and occasion to mount further pressure on Sri lanka to ensure that accountability is established under an international framework for the war crimes and genocide committed in the closing stages of the civil war and the ongoing gross human rights abuses.
She wanted the Prime Minister to strengthen the US sponsored resolution further through suitable amendments that would “make the Resolution unambiguous in intent and effective in implementation”. She has also suggested amendments to be included in the resolution which would make Sri lanka accountable to the international community of nations.
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