Lanka resolution: Uproar in parliament, India undecided
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The allegations of 'war crimes' during Sri Lanka's bloody civil war with the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) on Tuesday triggered a massive uproar in parliament, with the government indicating that it has not made up its mind on the UN resolution on the issue.
Two key Tamil Nadu parties - DMK and AIADMK - came together in the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha to vociferously ask the Indian government to vote against Sri Lanka on a US-sponsored resolution before the United Nations High Commission on Human Rights (UNHCHR) in Geneva on war crimes.
'Forward looking' course
The Prime Minister, in a letter to DMK's Karunanidhi, said efforts are on to achieve a 'forward-looking' outcome which would avoid 'deepening confrontation and mistrust'.
"We are engaged with all parties in an effort to achieve an outcome that is forward-looking and that ensures that rather than deepening confrontation and mistrust between concerned parties, a way forward is found on issues related to accountability and reconciliation," Singh told the party chief.
Noting that India had emphasised to Sri Lanka the importance of a genuine process of reconciliation to address grievances of Tamils, he said New Delhi welcomed the report of Sri Lankan Lessons Learnt and Reconciliation Committee (LLRC).
India believed implementation of the LLRC recommendations would contribute to the process of reconciliation, he added.
Credible mechanism to investigate killings
"We have also emphasised the need for an independent and credible mechanism to investigate allegations of human rights violations in a time-bound manner, which has also been recommended by LLRC. Our focus on these issues with the Government of Sri Lanka will continue," Singh said.
Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee also said no date had been fixed for the resolution against Sri Lanka moved by France, Norway and the US.
He said India's stand can be decided in due course, adding that Prime Minister Manmohan Singh had already written two letters to Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J. Jayalalithaa and DMK chief M. Karunanidhi on the ssue.
"If members want further clarification, I will request the External Affairs Minister to make a brief statement," Mukherjee, who is also the Leader of the Lok Sabha, said.
Government sources indicated that India is in touch with various countries, including Sri Lanka, over this contentious issue. Dilip Sinha, additional secretary in the external affairs ministry, is in Geneva and is engaged in discussions with other stakeholders. Much will depend on the wording of the resolution, said the sources.
The sources said that given the sensitivity of the resolution and its ramifications on India's relations with Sri Lanka, it will weigh in carefully before deciding a stand on it.
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