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Stay away from Commonwealth Heads meet: DMK

25 March 2013 10:52 am - 10     - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

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After quitting the UPA coalition on the Sri Lankan Tamils issue, DMK on Monday demanded that India should boycott the Commonwealth Heads of Government meeting scheduled to be held in Colombo in November this year.

“While Commonwealth Secretariat should not convene the meeting at Colombo, but if it happens, India should boycott the meeting in order to reflect the sentiments of Tamils worldover and to keep up the democratic spirits,” the DMK Executive Meeting said.

Chaired by party chief M. Karunanidhi, the meeting was attended by senior party leaders, but his son M.K. Alagiri, who is sulking on not being consulted over the party’s pull out of UPA, skipped it.

This is the first high level meeting of the party after it withdrew support to the UPA government last week charging that the Centre failed to bring amendments to the U.S.-sponsored resolution at the UNHRC against Sri Lanka for the alleged human rights violations during its crackdown on LTTE four years ago.

When some countries had decided against attending the Commonwealth meeting, “India without any hesitation should announce its decision about boycott immediately,” the party said in a resolution.

Defending its decision to snap ties with the UPA, DMK said it had provided stability to the Congress-led coalition from 2004 and solidly backed it in 2009.

“Kalaignar (Karunanidhi) and DMK deserve credit for providing stability and preventing the collapse of the government” when the Centre faced several critical situations on issues like FDI in retail and to keep the communal forces at bay, the resolution said.

Slamming the Centre on the Lankan Tamils issue, it said New Delhi continued to extend all assistance to Colombo terming it as a “friendly country” and insisted that India should bring a resolution on its own against Sri Lanka before the UNHRC.

Referring to the attack on Tamil Nadu fishermen allegedly by the Sri Lankan Navy, the DMK said despite its repeated pleas on the protection of fishermen, it seemed that the Centre has not taken any effective steps so far.

“The Centre should not delay further and take strong action to protect Tamil Nadu fishermen,” the resolution said.

The meeting passed as many as 16 resolutions.

In a resolution, the meeting urged the Centre to take steps to complete the Sethu Samudram project by defeating the designs of communal forces, which were trying to stall it.

The meeting also narrated the benefits that Tamil Nadu had received during DMK’s alliance with the UPA coalition at the Centre.

Meanwhile the DMK has urged the Centre to ensure the cancellation of a meeting of Commonwealth country leaders in Sri Lanka. Tamil Nadu Chief Minister and DMK chief J Jayalithaa wrote to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, protesting the meet scheduled in Colombo.

Here is the full text of the letter:

"You would recall that I had written to you on 18th March, 2013, conveying the deep sense of outrage amongst Tamils all over the world and particularly, in Tamil Nadu, over the issue of war crimes and genocide perpetrated against Sri Lankan Tamils by the Sri Lankan army in the closing stages of the civil war. There are also continuing instances of human rights abuses against the Tamils in Sri Lanka, who continue to be ostracized as second class citizens in their own land.

There was considerable and broad based support for a strong resolution condemning Sri Lanka for the genocide and asking for an independent, international mechanism to investigate those accused of war crimes and genocide and to bring them to book.  I had suggested that India should not only support the US moved resolution but should also move amendments to further strengthen the resolution.  As it transpired, India voted in favour of a diluted and weak resolution moved by the US and did not move any amendments to condemn the genocide or to urge the establishment of an independent, international inquiry into the war crimes.  There was widespread disappointment at this stand of the Government of India and a continuing sense of injustice in Tamil Nadu on this issue.

In the meanwhile, it is reported that the biennial Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) and the Leaders' Retreat is proposed to be held in Colombo from  15th to 17th November, 2013.  

In the present context, holding such a high profile international event, which will be attended by heads of government from across the world would amount to endorsing the present regime in Sri Lanka, which stands accused of committing genocide, war crimes and ongoing human rights abuses against Sri Lankan Tamils.  This regime, which continues to deny Tamils their legitimate human rights, equality and democratic freedom, far from upholding Commonwealth values, has clearly violated the central credo of the Commonwealth, which is democracy and human rights.  Nations have been suspended from the Commonwealth for far less.
 
Mr. Prime Minister, the proposed CHOGM in Colombo is another opportune occasion for India 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.  In the light of the fresh, mounting evidence of atrocities committed by the Sri Lankan military the Conference presents another oppurtunity to secure for   Sri Lankan Tamils equal constitutional rights and a life of dignity.  India must play a crucial role in this regard, given not only the deep and widespread sentiment prevailing amongst all sections of society and shades of political opinion in Tamil Nadu, as well as at the national level by many Opposition parties, but also the need to establish India as a global leader standing up for democracy and human rights.

It has also been widely reported that Canada has already indicated that it is likely to boycott the CHOGM in Colombo over the issue of gross human rights violations of the Sri Lankan Government.  The House of Commons Committee on Foreign Affairs in the United Kingdom has also urged the British Prime Minister not to attend the CHOGM in Colombo.  Clearly, many important countries across the world, including two G-8 countries, propose to leverage the proposed CHOGM in Sri Lanka and make substantial progress in human rights issues in Sri Lanka.

As an emerging great power and an aspirant for a permanent seat in the United Nations Security Council, India has a duty to ensure that the values of democracy and respect for human rights are upheld anywhere in the world and in particular in its neighbourhood.  As a leader in South Asia, India is uniquely positioned to exert the maximum influence on the Sri Lankans to accept an independent international mechanism to hold those who committed genocide and war crimes to account.

Mr. Prime Minister, there is still time to consider even an alternative venue to hold the event. India should use this opportunity to ask that the venue for the CHOGM be shifted to another country. If India takes this diplomatic initiative there is likely to be broad based support amongst member countries of the Commonwealth.
 
In any event, any high level participation or engagement from the Indian side in the CHOGM will not only embolden the Sri Lankan regime but also incense public opinion and sentiment in Tamil Nadu on this very sensitive issue even further. I would, therefore, strongly urge you not to attend the CHOGM and the Leaders' Retreat proposed to be held in Colombo on November 15 to 17, 2013.

Mr. Prime Minister, I write to you in the hope and expectation that the Government of India will decisively step forward as a true champion of human rights and democracy and will launch a strong diplomatic initiative in support of the much discriminated against and long suffering Tamil minority in Sri Lanka. At the very least, India must stay away from the CHOGM to be held in Colombo and, thereby, exert pressure on Sri Lanka to do justice by its hapless, much exploited Tamil Minorities. By doing so, India would also demonstrate its empathy and solidarity with the millions of Tamils both in Tamil Nadu and elsewhere and assuage the legitimate sense of outrage amongst them against Sinhala excesses against Sri Lankan Tamils." (Source: The Hindu, NDTV)

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  Comments - 10

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  • Shan Monday, 25 March 2013 12:34 PM

    Thia guy needs bit more sleep; everytime, he makes a statement, it looks he has fall short of a proper sleep.

    Calistus Jayatilleke Monday, 25 March 2013 12:35 PM

    These Tamil Nadu politicians always have some issue to show their importance to the central government and to blackmail them to surrender to their demands.

    Nodrog Monday, 25 March 2013 12:52 PM

    Bankrupt politicians trying hard to outdo each other by with their false concern for lankan tamils while their own citizens suffer from discrimination by caste and squalid living conditions.

    Suq Madique Monday, 25 March 2013 12:54 PM

    If a survey is help to see how many lankan tamils will want to live in tamil nadu instead of sri lanka......most will vote to stay in sri lanka!

    Prem Monday, 25 March 2013 01:41 PM

    what happens if other countries boycott events in India over Kashmir issue? DMK kept silence when thousands of people died in 1990s. Now it is envy of development in North and East and they work hard to spoil it.

    HRfan Monday, 25 March 2013 02:54 PM

    They participate necessarily, Commonwealth - which was born on the basis of colonialism, for them is the holy

    bushayya Monday, 25 March 2013 03:00 PM

    they are very traditional peopled and revere their culture, we cant blame these fools blame thier culture

    shanthapriya Tuesday, 26 March 2013 03:02 AM

    did this man protest over rajiv ghandhi killing

    nicky karunarathnara Tuesday, 26 March 2013 03:21 AM

    No need to boycott. Anyway way won't send an invitation to India as the way she behave. After 250 years under British colonialism and treated the indians like their slaves, now come under dominion of US. What a pity - a country ruled by kings like great Dharma Asoka et al.During the British Raj, one British soldier killed by Indians have to pay sometimes entire villagers life by British massacres them like dogs. After Slave business in African continent - the servant and master trade strated in India with Indians. So these Indian still remains as servants ot those White masters eh?

    chux Tuesday, 26 March 2013 12:45 PM

    Fat hopes... what Sri Lankans start they will always finish in style.....


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