The central government is likely to clarify its stand before Parliament today on the alleged war crimes against ethnic Tamils by the Sri Lankan army while battling the LTTE.
CNN-IBN reported that External Affairs Minister SM Krishna is expected to state the government’s position on the issue today and the stand India could be expected to take in the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC).
Despite the government’s constant effort to avoid “deepening confrontation and mistrust” with Sri Lanka, it has been under constant pressure from Tamil Nadu MPs to vote against Colombo at the UNHRC.
Legislators created a ruckus over the issue in Parliament on Tuesday with MPs from Tamil Nadu demanding that the government end its silence over whether it planned to support the US-sponsored resolution against Sri Lanka.
“We want an assurance from the government that India will vote against Sri Lanka”, said Venkaiah Naidu, a BJP MP.
Will India agree to support Sri Lanka against the UNHRC resolution?Reuters
However AIADMK MP Maitreyan was the most vocal of the Tamil Nadu MP’s, demanding that the “Prime Minister end his silence on the Sri Lanka issue”.
The resolution seeks to draw attention to Sri Lanka’s absence of accountability in the aftermath of the war against the LTTE. It is likely to take a critical look at the government’s failure to implement recommendations made by the Lessons Learned and Reconciliation Commission (LLRC), a government body set up to address grievances in the aftermath of the war.
It is also likely to ask the government to present the commission with a road map of how it plans to implement those recommendations by the next UNHRC meeting in June.
In a letter addressed to DMK DMK Chief M Karunanidhi, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh wrote, “With regard to resolution in UN Human Rights Council, we are engaged with all parties in an effort to achieve an outcome that is forward looking and ensures that rather than deepening confrontation and mistrust a way forward is found.”
Colombo has so far denied all allegations of human rights violations in Sri Lanka.
