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PM reminds Rajapaksa India's key role in
Geneva
Saturday March 24, 2012 08:20:52 PM,
IANS
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New Delhi: India
played a key role to introduce "an element of balance" in the
US-sponsored resolution in Geneva on Sri Lanka rights violations,
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has said.
In a letter to President Mahinda Rajapaksa, Manmohan Singh said he
had instructed the Indian delegation "to remain in close contact
with its Sri Lanka counterparts in an attempt to find a positive
way forward.
"You would be aware that we spared no effort and were successful
in introducing an element of balance in the language of the
resolution" that was passed by the UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC)
in Geneva Thursday, he said in his letter that was released
Saturday.
The reference was to Indian insistence that forced the US and
other sponsors of the resolution to remove references to UN
intrusion into Sri Lankan affairs over human rights and "war
crimes" allegations.
India's decision to go public with the letter to Rajapaksa comes
amid charges by some leaders in Sri Lanka that New Delhi might one
day have to face a similar UN resolution over the Kashmir dispute.
India and 23 other countries, including the US, voted in favour of
the resolution. Fifteen countries voted against while eight
abstained in the 47-member HRC body.
President Rajapaksa has publicly praised the countries which voted
against the resolution or abstained while warning the others --
including India -- to be aware of the consequences.
The prime minister reminded Rajapaksa that the two countries had
had discussions on "the way ahead with regard to a political
solution that will address all outstanding issues, in particular
the grievances of the Tamil community, in a spirit of
understanding and mutual cooperation.
"It is our conviction that a meaningful devolution package,
building upon the (India-sponsored) 13th amendment (of the Sri
Lankan constitution), would lead towards a lasing political
settlement..."
This, he said, would help everyone in Sri Lanka, irrespective of
their ethnicity, to lead a life of justice, dignity, equality and
self-respect.
"I would like to reiterate my government's commitment to continue
to be of assistance in the achievement of this important
objective."
Manmohan Singh reminded Rajapaksa that India had stood by Sri
Lanka firmly in its struggle against terrorism.
Justifying the annihilation of the Tamil Tigers, Singh said the
end in May 2009 of the Sri Lanka conflict "was something we
regarded as providing, at long last, an opportunity for genuine
national reconciliation and for addressing the urgent needs of
development and reconstruction."
He pointed out the various help the Indian government had provided
to Sri Lanka in rebuilding the island's northeast, the former war
zone.
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