Congress to decide on UNHRC resolution on Lanka after discussion with DMK

Monday, 18 March 2013 00:00 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

India: India’s ruling Congress party would take a final call on the fate of a resolution against Sri Lanka for war crimes in the United Nations after consulting with its key regional ally, Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) party.

Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa is under fire from the UN Human Rights Council, which last year adopted a United States-sponsored resolution demanding that Sri Lanka ensure Government troops who committed war crimes during the final stages of its war against Tamil rebels are brought to justice.

The US believes Sri Lanka has failed to do that, and this March will repeat its actions the same forum. Washington and London are trying to exert some pressure on Colombo, expressing concern at attacks on journalists, activists and lawyers. Earlier, chief of India’s regional DMK party, M. Karunanidhi threatened to cut ties with the federal government, if they didn’t amend the resolution to include the demand for international probe against those found guilty of war crimes in Sri Lanka.

In response to DMK’s threat, India’s Foreign Minister, Salman Khurshid, said on Sunday (17 March) that ruling Congress party would not take any decision on the issue without a consulting its ally.

“Let us decide over the issue. Everything is not disclosed before taking final decisions. Do you (a reporter) think we will not listen to them (DMK, an ally), who are our associates in the government? We will definitely consult and discuss with them before taking a final call,” said Khurshid.

The 30-year-long civil war between the Government and the Tamil Tiger rebels, who at one time controlled large swathes of the north of the island state, is estimated to have left tens of thousands of people dead or injured.

“Unless the government officially makes it clear what its stand going to be at Geneva, nothing can be said now. But, we will keep on demanding that government should demand an international inquiry into the war crimes and the government should vote against Sri Lanka. That will be the demand,” said a lawmaker of the Communist Party of India D Raja. However, India’s main opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) said that the DMK must withdraw support from the Congress-led UPA government. “DMK must withdraw support from the government. This government has no right to continue. It is not only harmful for Tamils but also for the entire country,” said a BJP leader Shahnawaz Hussain.

International investigators, whose findings have been rejected by the Sri Lankan authorities, have said the army committed large-scale abuses and was responsible for many civilian deaths in the final stages of the war.

The International Commission of Jurists said that the failure to submit those abuses and others committed by the Tigers to a court was a symptom of the overall lack of accountability in the country, where rights groups say abductions and attacks on media are also common.