Tamil protester continues hunger strike, calling on Cameron to boycott CHOGM
 The Tamil protester, Parameswaran, continued his hunger strike into the fourth day today, calling on the British Prime Minister to boycott the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) due to take place in Sri Lanka later this month. Parameswaran, who began his fast on Monday at 17:30 GMT, has remained opposite the David Cameron's residence at Downing Street since then, despite freezing temperatures and rains. Speaking in a video interview yesterday, he reaffirmed his intention to continue with his fast, despite the harsh conditions, and said that Cameron's boycott was the sole aim of his protest. |
Thu, Nov 7, 2013, 09:41 pm SL Time, ColomboPage News Desk, Sri Lanka.
Nov 07, New Delhi: The Asian Centre for Human Rights (ACHR) today urged Indian Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh to attend the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) to be held in Colombo on 15-17 November 2013 and demand accountability for the alleged war crimes committed by the Sri Lankan Army in the final phases of the war against the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE).The Center said it is a foregone conclusion that the CHOGM 2013 will take place with or without the Indian Prime Minister and that Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapakse will lead the Commonwealth for the next two years.
"Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh should therefore attend the CHOGM 2013 and emphasize that accountability for the war crimes and crimes against humanity as found out by the UN Secretary General�s Panel of Experts on Accountability in Sri Lanka is the only means for national reconciliation in Sri Lanka," Director of ACHR Suhas Chakma said in a statement.
He said that at the meeting Indian PM should announce that if Sri Lanka fails to take effective measures to establish accountability and full ly implement the recommendations of the Lessons Learnt and Reconciliation Commission (LLRC) India will continue to support the UN resolution against Sri Lanka that was adopted last year at the UN Human Rights Council.
Tamil political parties in the state of Tamil Nadu where around 70 million Tamils live and members of his own Congress party are urging the PM to boycott the summit in Sri Lanka on the grounds of alleged human right violations against the Tamils in Sri Lanka.
