Krishna says India will study draft of anti-Lanka resolution

With Dravidian parties mounting pressure on Centre to support a resolution in UNHRC against Sri Lanka for alleged war crimes, External Affairs Minister S.M. Krishna has said the government will study the draft of the resolution and consult Tamil MPs before taking a call.

“The minister is concerned over human rights. Once draft of the resolution is made, India will study it and consult MPs and take a call,” official sources said. “Krishna is giving importance to views of MPs from Tamil Nadu,” they said.

Parties in Tamil Nadu want the government to support the resolution. AIADMK and DMK had disrupted proceedings in Parliament last week to press their demand for supporting U.S.-sponsored resolution in the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) based in Geneva.

The resolution against Sri Lanka moved by the U.S., France, and Norway is scheduled to be taken up on March 23 in the UNHRC meeting. UPA’s key constituent DMK has also called a high-level committee meeting tomorrow to discuss the issue. The agenda at the meeting would be “India supporting the resolution on Sri Lankan army’s war crimes against Eelam Tamils.

Leader of the Lok Sabha Pranab Mukherjee had told the House that “our traditional stand has been that we have never supported any country-specific resolution at the UN Human Rights Council“. Noting that there were “several facets” involved, government sources had said that India was in touch with several countries, including Sri Lanka, and other interlocutors on the issue.

- Asian Tribune -

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