Sri Lanka 'intimidating' India: Jayalalithaa to Manmohan
IANS | Mar 7, 2013
CHENNAI: Tamil Nadu chief minister J Jayalalithaa on Thursday alleged that Sri Lanka is attempting to "intimidate" India into not raising its voice against the atrocities on Tamils in that country by arresting Indian fishermen.
In a letter to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, she said: "The incidents of arrests of fishermen and the recent firing should be viewed as an indirect attempt to intimidate the government of India and browbeat it into not raising its voice against Sri Lankan atrocities on innocent Sri Lankan Tamilians in the international fora."
The text of the letter was released to the media here. Jayalalithaa was referring to the firing by the Lankan navy at Indian fishermen on Wednesday and said it was "highly unacceptable".
Urging that the Indian government not remain a silent spectator, Jayalalithaa said: "The Sri Lankan government should be advised to desist from using force against our innocent Indian fishermen who have been fishing in their traditional fishing areas for centuries."
According to her, 14 Indian fishermen — 10 from Puducherry and four from Tamil Nadu — were shot at by the Lankan navy Wednesday night, injuring a fisherman.
"You are already aware that 16 fishermen of Thoothukudi (Tuticorin) who were fishing in the Gulf of Mannar area were arrested by the Sri Lankan navy and are presently in judicial custody in Sri Lanka," the chief minister said in the letter.
"Over and above that, this latest incident of firing by the Sri Lankan navy clearly indicates that the Sri Lankan navy wants to create an atmosphere of panic, fear and tension amidst the fishermen of Tamil Nadu," Jayalaltihaa said.
Against the backdrop of demands by Tamil parties that India should vote against Sri Lanka at the UN on human rights issue, government on Wednesday remained evasive on the stand it will take even as it asked Sri Lanka to treat it as a humanitarian issue rather than “a matter of ego”.
Tamil Nadu chief minister J Jayalalithaa.
CHENNAI: Tamil Nadu chief minister J Jayalalithaa on Thursday alleged that Sri Lanka is attempting to "intimidate" India into not raising its voice against the atrocities on Tamils in that country by arresting Indian fishermen. In a letter to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, she said: "The incidents of arrests of fishermen and the recent firing should be viewed as an indirect attempt to intimidate the government of India and browbeat it into not raising its voice against Sri Lankan atrocities on innocent Sri Lankan Tamilians in the international fora."
The text of the letter was released to the media here. Jayalalithaa was referring to the firing by the Lankan navy at Indian fishermen on Wednesday and said it was "highly unacceptable".
Urging that the Indian government not remain a silent spectator, Jayalalithaa said: "The Sri Lankan government should be advised to desist from using force against our innocent Indian fishermen who have been fishing in their traditional fishing areas for centuries."
According to her, 14 Indian fishermen — 10 from Puducherry and four from Tamil Nadu — were shot at by the Lankan navy Wednesday night, injuring a fisherman.
"You are already aware that 16 fishermen of Thoothukudi (Tuticorin) who were fishing in the Gulf of Mannar area were arrested by the Sri Lankan navy and are presently in judicial custody in Sri Lanka," the chief minister said in the letter.
"Over and above that, this latest incident of firing by the Sri Lankan navy clearly indicates that the Sri Lankan navy wants to create an atmosphere of panic, fear and tension amidst the fishermen of Tamil Nadu," Jayalaltihaa said.
India prods Sri Lanka to ‘engage’ U.S. on rights issue in U.N.
NEW DELHI, March 6, 2013
Against the backdrop of demands by Tamil parties that India should vote against Sri Lanka at the UN on human rights issue, government on Wednesday remained evasive on the stand it will take even as it asked Sri Lanka to treat it as a humanitarian issue rather than “a matter of ego”.
With a resolution set to be moved on Sri Lankan Tamils at the UN, External Affairs Minister Salman Khurshid said he has asked his Lankan counterpart G.L. Peiris to work with the US and report progress if any made on the issue to arrive at a draft which is “acceptable to everybody”.
“Government will take a stand. As of now I have told my colleague Foreign Minister of Sri Lanka to engage the US. If you have moved forward (on human rights issue), you should bring that to the knowledge of the US to arrive at a consensual draft which is acceptable to everybody,” Mr. Khurshid told reporters outside Parliament.
“It is a humanitarian issue. It is not an issue on which anybody should stand on ceremony or ego. If it is possible, speak to them directly and find a suitable and acceptable draft,” he said.
His comments came against the backdrop of mounting demands by Tamil parties that India should take a tough stand against Sri Lanka and vote in favour of resolution to be moved against it.
The US is set to move a new resolution against Sri Lanka at the current session of the UN Human Rights Council for its alleged war crimes, asking the country to promote reconciliation and accountability.
The resolution will ask the government of Sri Lanka to follow through on its own commitments to its people, including implementing the constructive recommendations from the report by Sri Lanka’s Lessons Learnt and Reconciliation Commission.
