Compelled by domestic political compulsions, the Indian government Thursday voted against Sri Lanka at the UN Human Rights Council, supporting a American resolution censuring the island nation for its human rights record during the bloody civil war with the LTTE.
The resolution urged the Sri Lankan government to implement the recommendations of the Lessons Learnt and Reconciliation Commi-ssion. On India’s stand at UNHRC, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said Thursday: “One has to weigh the pros and cons. What we did was in line with our stand on Sri Lanka.” He added: “We don’t want to infringe on the sovereignty of Sri Lanka, but concerns should be expressed so that Tamils can get justice and lead a life of dignity.”
In the 47-member UNHRC, 15 countries including China, which has been cosying up to the Colombo government, as well as Bangladesh, the Maldives, Russia and Saudi Arabia voted against the resolution, while 24 countries, including India, voted in favour. The remaining eight countries abstained.
The DMK, a key UPA ally whose armtwisting forced the government to cast its lot against a “friendly country”, expressed happiness. DMK MP Kanimozhi said: “This is what Tamil Nadu wanted.”
Sri Lankan foreign minister G.L. Peris, who was present at the vote in Geneva, made his unhappiness with India evident, but did not name it. He said: “The most distressing feature of this experience... is now determined not by the merits of a particular issue but by strategic alliances and domestic political issues.”
India voted against Sri Lanka despite the dark clouds this threatens to usher over their ties. Sources here said “the relationship is deep-rooted and multi-faceted”. The Sri Lankans, however, said they were “more saddened than angry” with India’s vote, but voiced fears it would be “a setback for bilateral ties”.