Former Chief Minister and Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) president, M. Karunanidhi, on Friday once again urged the Central government to vote in favour of the United States-backed resolution, condemning human rights violations against Tamils in Sri Lanka, at the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC).
In a statement here, he said that a number of nations had been demanding a probe into the human rights violations by the Sri Lankan government in the final stages of the war against the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam in 2009.
The DMK had made its stand clear at its executive meeting on April 27, 2010. A resolution passed had stated that an advisory committee constituted by the United Nations Secretary General to inquire into the war crimes had confirmed the wanton attacks on Tamils by Sri Lankan troops.
The report released on April 25 last by the committee had said that more than 40,000 innocent Tamils were massacred by the Sri Lankan army and that its armed forces killed the prisoners of war.
Hence the DMK had demanded immediate action by India against those who had indulged in such crimes.
Mr. Karunanidhi recalled that on March 1, he had stressed that India should not support Sri Lanka under any pretext at the UNHRC. On March 2, the DMK leader in the Lok Sabha, T.R. Baalu, called on Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to convey the party’s stand and the feelings of Tamil people on this score.
The DMK president said that even as early as January 2009, his party had moved a resolution in the Tamil Nadu Assembly urging the Centre to initiate steps to end the war.
All the parties in the State had expressed unanimous opinion on this issue.
Even External Affairs Minister S.M. Krishna said on Thursday that a decision would be taken on the resolution of the United States in consonance with the feelings of the Tamil people.
Quoting from the U.S.-sponsored resolution, Mr. Karunanidhi said that it had sought impartial enquiry into the allegations of massacre and the disappearance of a number of people. It should be borne in mind that the Lessons Learnt and Reconciliation Commission appointed by the Sri Lankan government had not accorded much attention to the violations of international law. Hence, the United Nations Human Rights Council should extend counsel and technical assistance for implementing the programmes (for rehabilitation of Tamils) and this should be accepted by Sri Lanka.
The DMK president demanded that the Centre announce, without any further delay, that it will vote in favour of the U.S.-backed resolution.
The Hindu