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Wednesday, February 29, 2012

Jayalalitha tells Indian govt. not to support Sri Lanka at UNHCR

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Jayalalitha Jayaram today (Feb. 29) demanded that the Indian government should support the US-backed resolution on human rights violations by Sri Lanka, which comes up for voting at the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva next month.

In a letter to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, she referred to the memorandum submitted to him last June, followed by a letter later.

She said, "India should support the US-backed resolution and strongly condemn the Sri Lankan government when the same is brought forward in the council," IANS reports.

In her letter to Dr. Singh last June, Jayalalitha had drawn his attention to the resolution passed by the state assembly urging the Indian government to take up the issue of war crimes with the UN and declare those found guilty of war crimes against Sri Lankan Tamils as war criminals.

She had urged him to work with other countries and impose economic sanctions against the island nation.

Earlier, M. Karunanidhi, a key member of the United Progressive Alliance government at the centre, also urged the Indian government not to support Sri Lanka at the UNHRC.

In a statement, Karunanidhi said there was no change in the party's stand on the issue.

He said those involved in war crimes and genocide against Tamils in Sri Lanka should be brought to book as mentioned by the UN panel report.

Karunanidhi urged the Indian government not to support Sri Lanka when the resolution at the UN Human Rights Council is put to vote.
SLM