India failed in its task-DMK

21 March 2013 11:52 am

Contrary to the government's announcement yesterday, India did not move any amendments to the resolution sponsored by the US.

"The government has failed," declared an MP from the DMK, which quit the government earlier this week for failing to take a strong stand against Sri Lanka over its alleged war crimes against ethnic Tamils.

The DMK wanted India to push the UN to accuse Sri Lanka of "genocide" and to seek an international inquiry into accusations of mass killings of Tamil civilians.

The resolution adopted by a 25-13 vote at  the UN's top human rights body today urges Sri Lanka's government "to initiate credible and independent actions" to ensure justice and accountability for alleged human rights violations and atrocities during the final phase of the civil war which ended in 2009, after government troops crushed the separatist Tamil Tigers.  

Today, India's envoy at the UN in Geneva, Dlip Sinha, said, "We reiterate our call for an independent and credible investigation into allegations of human rights violations and loss of civilian lives. We urge Sri Lanka to take forward measures to ensure accountability. We expect these measures to be to the satisfaction of the international community."
 
India did not call for an international inquiry which would, according to many in the government and the opposition, have amounted to interference in Sri Lanka's internal affairs.

"Tamils are part of the Indian people. We must do our best for the aspirations of our people," said Foreign Affairs Minister Salman Khurshid.

Sources in Geneva say that last night, America  shot down India's plans for amendments to the UN resolution, arguing that it was too late to make changes and that any revisions would challenge the broad consensus reached among countries that were ready to vote against Sri Lanka.

Like last year, Pakistan supported Sri Lanka. (NDTV)