Jaya raps Centre on Sri Lanka stance

CHENNAI: Describing as most unfortunate and untenable the reported stand of the Union government that India is against ‘country specific’ resolutions before United National Human Rights Council in Geneva, Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa on Tuesday renewed her request to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to support the US-backed resolution in UNHRC on accountability issues of the Sri Lankan civil war involving HR violations. In her second letter to the PM on the issue, Jayalalithaa said media reports had claimed that India wanted to take up discussions only under the Universal Periodic Review as a routine matter. “This means direct support to the Lankan government,” she said adding that she was awaiting a positive response from him on it. “While there has been no response to my letter dated February 29 insisting the PM to support the US backed resolution and strongly condemn the Lankan government, much to my dismay, certain reports have appeared in the media relating to the Centre’s stand on the US-backed resolution on accountability issues of the Lankan civil war involving HR violations,” she said.In her letter dated February 29, she had also drawn his attention to the resolution adopted by the Tamil Nadu State Assembly, urging the Centre to take up the issue of war crimes with the UN and to declare those found guilty of war crimes against Lankan Tamils as war criminals. The resolution also urged the Centre to work with other nations to impose an economic embargo on the Lankan government.