Vaiko demands referendum for Tamils in Sri Lanka

April 7, 2013, 10:21 pm 

Marumalarchi Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (MDMK) leader Vaiko has called for an independent international investigation into war crimes allegations agaisnt Sri Lanka and also demanded that the Tamils in Sri Lanka should be allowed a referendum to decide their fate according to online ANI report dated April 7.

"There should be an independent international investigation about the crime of genocide committed by Sri Lankan government of Mahinda Rajapakshe. And the settlements of the army and police who’re deployed in the traditionally Tamil areas should be thrown out," the agency quoted Vaiko as having said.

"They should be sent out. There should be a referendum that should be conducted under the supervision of United Nations, and in that referendum, modality should be worked out so that the Tamils living all over the world should be allowed to exercise their franchise in their respective countries where they are living," he added

Vaiko also accused Congress party-led United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government of being a co accused in the war crimes committed by the Sri Lankan government.

"I do accuse the UPA government of Dr. Manmohan Singh and directed by Sonia Gandhi as a co-accused in the crime of genocide because they provided all logistic support, military support and they supplied other military weapons enabling the Sri Lankan government to commit the crime of genocide," he said.

The Tamil Nadu assembly had earlier adopted a resolution, moved by Chief Minister J. Jayalalithaa, urging the Centre to take firm steps against Colombo till the ‘suppression’ of Tamils was stopped and those responsible for """genocide and war crimes""" faced a credible international probe.

The resolution came close on the heels of Jayalalithaa writing to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, saying India should boycott the Commonwealth Heads of Government meeting to be held in Colombo in November this year.

Chidambaram slams BJP for no support on Sri Lankan Tamils issue

Apr 8, 2013

Chennai: Union Finance Minister P Chidambaram slammed BJP for not supporting the UPA government’s efforts to pass a resolution in Parliament on the Sri Lankan Tamils issue and rejected accusations hurled at Congress that it did not “support” the cause.

Addressing a public meeting here, Chidambaram explained the initiatives the Congress took for passing a resolution in Parliament.     The government convened an all-party meet to discuss the issue, but BJP, Left Parties, Janata Dal, Akali Dal, Shiv Sena, Telugu Desam opposed a passage of resolution.

AFP

“When we were trying to pass a resolution, BJP Parliamentary Party Leader Sushma Swaraj said there was no necessity to discuss it and there is no need to conduct an all-party meet. Friends, you should understand that there is only one party in New Delhi which is ready to pass a resolution in support of Sri Lankan Tamils. If BJP or some other party was in power (at New Delhi), what would have happened?” he asked during his 90-minute speech.

Chidambaram, who outlined the talks Congress held with DMK on the issue, charged that the Dravidian parties in Tamil Nadu were trying to make Congress a “scapegoat” over the Sri Lankan Tamils issue.

“I strongly condemn your statement that Congress is not in support of Sri Lankan Tamils. I respect DMK for supporting the Sri Lankan Tamils. I support the AIADMK. But, I strongly object that Congress is not in support of the Tamils in Sri Lanka”, he asserted. Continuing his tirade against the BJP for appointing Amit Shah, a former Gujarat Home Minister and close aide of Chief Minister Narendra Modi, as its general secretary, Chidambaram asked how he had been selected when he was allegedly involved in an encounter case.

PTI