The Hindu – Manmohan concerned at reports on Sri Lanka’s move to dilute 13th Amendment

B. Muralidhar Reddy

New Delhi, 19 June 2013.  For the first time since the end of the military annihilation of the LTTE in May 2009, and a raging debate within Sri Lanka on the way to go about redressing the political and social grievances of the island nation’s Tamils, India has expressed dismay over reports suggesting that Colombo is mulling over a review of the key issues related to devolution of powers to the provinces.

At an interactive session with a delegation of the Tamil National Alliance, the legislative representative group of the Sri Lankan Tamils in the North-Eastern province, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh is reported to have told them that reports of the Rajapaksa regime reneging on its commitment to New Delhi on a political package for resolution of the concerns of the Tamil community in the island nation are disturbing.

Dr. Singh said he was dismayed by reports suggesting that the Government of Sri Lanka planned to dilute certain key provisions of the 13th Amendment to the Constitution ahead of elections to the Northern Provincial Council.

The 13th Amendment is one of the key points of the 1987 India-Sri Lanka pact brokered by the then Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi and his Sri Lankan counterpart J. R. Jayawardene.

Under the agreement, Sri Lanka is committed to devolving powers to the provinces, including in the Tamil-dominated North and East, to give a sense to the people in these regions that they have a say on most matters related to their governance.

The pact had also enabled the merger of the Northern and Eastern Provinces into one, subject to a referendum by the people of the east, but it was annulled by the island nation’s Supreme Court months after the Eelam-IV war began.

Since the end of the military conflict in early 2009, Colombo has reiterated many a time to New Delhi that it was committed to implementing the 13th Amendment in letter and spirit and also look at the possibility of 13th Amendment plus. However, President Mahinda Rajapaksa has been hedging on it, triggering misapprehensions among Tamils in Sri Lanka and India.

A spokesperson of the External Affairs Ministry said:

“At the meeting, it was noted that the proposed changes raised doubts about the commitments made by the Sri Lankan Government to India and the international community, including the United Nations, on a political settlement in Sri Lanka that would go beyond the 13th Amendment.

“The changes would also be incompatible with the recommendation of the Lessons Learnt and Reconciliation Commission (LLRC), set up by the Government of Sri Lanka, calling for a political settlement based on the devolution of power to the provinces.”

The LLRC was constituted by Mr. Rajapaksa to make recommendations on what should be done to assuage the sentiments of the Tamil community.

The delegation earlier called on the External Affairs Minister Salman Khurshid and National Security Adviser Shivshankar Menon, who had served as Indian High Commissioner in Sri Lanka.

“He [Dr. Singh] stressed on the expectation that the Sri Lankan Tamil community would lead a life of dignity, as equal citizens, and reiterated that India would make every effort to ensure the achievement of a future for the community marked by equality, justice and self-respect,” the spokesperson noted.

The meeting with Dr. Singh lasted 40 minutes.

It is believed that the discussion covered a wide range of issues including provincial elections, the situation in the North and Eastern provinces, Indian development assistance, reports of proposed constitutional amendment.

The six-member delegation of the Tamil National Alliance (TNA), Sri Lanka, which has been on a visit here from 16-19 June, is led by R. Sampanthan, MP, and consists of Mavai S. Senathirajah, (MP), K. (Suresh) Premachandran (MP), P. Selvarajah (MP), Selvam Adaikkalanathan (MP) and M.A. Sumanthiran (MP).

A TNA delegation had visited India in October 2012.

http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/manmohan-concerned-at-reports-on-colombos-move-to-dilute-
13th-amendment/article4827693.ece

The Aian Age – Anti-Lanka stand: DMK, AIADMK demand boycott of Commonwalth meet in Colombo

Chennai, 25 March 2013. Joining her arch rival DMK on the Lankan Tamils issue, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Jayalalithaa on Monday said that India should stay away from the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) to be held in Colombo in November to mount pressure on Sri Lanka to ensure accountability under an international framework for its alleged war crimes.

Earlier in the day, the DMK, which quitted the UPA coalition on the Sri Lankan Tamils issue, had demanded that India should boycott the CHOGM.

Jayalalithaa’s writes to PM Manmohan Singh : “…Any high level participation or engagement from the Indian side in the CHOGM will not only embolden the Sri Lankan regime but also incense public opinion and sentiment in Tamil Nadu on this every sensitive issue even further”, she said in a strongly-worded letter to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.

She cited reports that Canada was likely to boycott and the House of Commons Committee on Foreign Affairs in the UK had also urged the British Prime Minister not to attend.

Many important countries across the world, including two G-8 countries, propose to leverage the CHOGM and make substantial progress in human rights issue in Sri Lanka, she said.

“As an emerging great power and an aspirant for a permanent seat in the UN Security Council, India has a duty to ensure that the values of democracy and respect for human rights are upheld anywhere in the world and in particular in its neighbourhood”, the AIADMK chief said.

As a leader in South Asia, India was uniquely positioned to exert the maximum influence on the Sri Lankans to accept an independent international mechanism to hold those who committed “genocide and war crimes” to account, she said.

The proposed CHOGM was another “opportune occasion” for India to mount further pressure on Sri Lanka to ensure that accountability was established under an international framework for the “war crimes and genocide committed in the closing stages of the civil war and the ongoing gross human rights abuses,” she said.

Observing that there was still time to consider an alternative venue to hold the event and India should ask for it, Ms. Jayalalithaa said, “If India takes this diplomatic initiative, there is likely to be broad based support amongst member countries of the Commonwealth.”

Accusing India of voting in favour of a “diluted and weak” U.S. resolution against Sri Lanka and not moving any amendments at the UNHRC, she said, “There was widespread disappointment at this stand of the Government of India and a continuing sense of injustice in Tamil Nadu on this issue.”

http://www.asianage.com/india/anti-lanka-stand-dmk-aiadmk-demand-boycott-commonwalth-meet-colombo-452

The Hindu – DMK pulls out of UPA over UN Sri Lanka resolution

Chennai, 19 March 2013.  DMK chief M. Karunanidhi on Tuesday quit the Congress-led UPA and its government expressing dismay on India’s stand over Sri Lanka at the United National Human Rights Council (UNHRC).

“Continuing in this government will be an injustice to the Sri Lankan Tamils,” the former Tamil Nadu chief minister told the media in Chennai

Mr. Karunanidhi said the UPA government had not only refused to consider the DMK’s views on the US-sponsored resolution against Sri Lanka at the UNHRC but had quietly watered down the resolution.

He also ruled out extending outside legislative support to the UPA.

Asked if the DMK would change its stand if the government brought a resolution in Parliament denouncing Sri Lanka, he said there was time till Thursday for that.

If a resolution was introduced in Parliament accusing Sri Lanka of committing “genocide” of Tamils, “We are ready to change our view”, the DMK leader said.

Meanwhile, Finance Minister P. Chidambaram said the government is holding consultations on DMK demand for Parliament resolution on Sri Lankan Tamils issue.

http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/dmk-pulls-out-of-upa-over-un-sri-lanka-resolution/article4525097.ece?homepage=true

The Tribune – Lankan Tamils issue: Centre tries to placate DMK after exit threat

Ashok Tuteja, Tribune News Service

New Delhi, March 16. Faced with the DMK threat to pull out of the ruling coalition, the UPA government today reassured its partner that a decision over India’s vote on the UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC) resolution on the alleged violation of human rights in Sri Lanka would be taken keeping in mind the sentiments of the people of Tamil Nadu.

With the issue likely to dominate the national discourse in India in the run-up to the resolution being moved by the US at the UNHRC meet in Geneva next week, Minister of State in the Prime Minister’s Office V Narayanasamy said Prime Minister Manmohan Singh would “definitely consider all aspects” and take a decision on the issue that would be in the overall national interest.

“In Tamil Nadu, the issue is very emotive and sensitive for the people and political parties. Therefore, the DMK and its leader M Karunanidhi have mentioned the sentiments on that,” he said. The DMK, a key constituent of the coalition at the Centre, wants India to make efforts to bring about amendments to the US-backed resolution in the UNHRC to seek an independent international probe into the “genocide” allegedly committed by Sri Lankan forces

during the last phase of the war with the LTTE in 2009.

On Friday night, Karunanidhi had said: “India should take steps to amend the American resolution to include that war criminals responsible for the “genocide” (of Tamils) in Sri Lanka be identified, hold a free international inquiry against them and take time-bound appropriate action.

“If this request is not heeded, it will be meaningless for the DMK to continue in the Central Government,” he added.

On Saturday, Karunanidhi admitted that the Central Government had not responded to his Friday threat. “That is why we have issued the statement (on Saturday).”

Narayanasamy said the Prime Minister had already informed Parliament that the government was committed to protecting the Tamil minority in Sri Lanka.

India is one of the 47 member countries of the current UNHRC. Last year, India voted in favour of a similar resolution that berated Colombo for rights abuses and more.

Meanwhile, Sri Lanka continued to make friendly gestures towards India, hoping that New Delhi would remain soft towards it at the UNHRC meet. Thirty-four Indian fishermen were released by Sri Lanka today. They left for India after spending a night in Jaffna.

Taking a tough stand

- With 18 MPs in the Lok Sabha, the DMK has one Union minister and four junior ministers in the Union council of ministers

- DMK chief M Karunanidhi (pic) wants India to press for a probe into the alleged genocide that took place in Sri Lanka

http://www.tribuneindia.com/2013/20130317/main2.htm

The Tribune – Pardhan Mantri Manmohan Singh : Sri Lankan Tamils and taking on the BJP in Rajya Sabha

Tamils must live with dignity in Lanka: PM

Girja Shankar Kaura, Tribune News Service

New Delhi, March 8. Expressing concern over the plight of Tamils in Sri Lanka, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh today made it clear that political reconciliation is a must for calm in that country and said India would strive to ensure dignity and self respect for the ethnic minority.

“It will be our effort to work with the Government of Sri Lanka to ensure that the Tamil population in Sri Lanka is given a chance to lead a life of dignity and self respect as equal citizens of that country,” Manmohan Singh said in the Rajya Sabha while replying to the debate on the Motion of Thanks to the President’s address.

The PM said the Lankan Government must talk to the Tamil leadership and political reconciliation was a must to bring lasting peace there to resolve the Tamils’ issue.

“There are problems in Sri Lanka. We have been worried about the fate of the Tamil people in Sri Lanka. It has been our effort to deal with the Government of Sri Lanka. There must be political reconciliation. Without national reconciliation, the situation cannot remain calm. The Sri Lankan Government must, therefore, take the initiative to talk to the Tamil leadership in Sri Lanka,” Singh said.

PM takes on BJP in Rajya Sabha

Picking up from where he had left in the Lok Sabha, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh again launched a frontal attack on the BJP in the Rajya Sabha, particularly Leader of Opposition Arun Jaitley saying “men of envy” disparage everything.

Manmohan Singh, while expressing confidence that growth would bounce back to 7-8 per cent, urged the Opposition to be more objective in assessing the work of the government.

Taking on Jaitley, the Prime Minister said, “I agree with Leader of Opposition Arun Jaitley saying that country needs a growth of 7-8 per cent to get rid of poverty. I would like to remind this House that this is precisely the intention of the UPA government.” (With PTI inputs)

http://www.tribuneindia.com/2013/20130309/main4.htm

The Asian Age – Karunanidhi calls for solutions to Sri Lankan Tamils issue

Chennai, 12 August 2012. DMK chief M. Karunanidhi on Sunday called for ‘short, medium and long-term solutions’ to address the various aspects of Sri Lankan Tamils issue.

Addressing a conclave at the Eelam Tamils Rights Protection Conference here, he said “the short-term and medium term solutions include resettlement and rehabilitation of displaced Tamils, besides reconstruction of infrastructural and civic facilities.”

“Long-term solution is a political solution which has been discussed and debated for a very long time,” the DMK patriarch told the conclave, a prelude to the international conference scheduled later for the day.

He also expressed anguish that Sri Lankan military runs ‘a state of emergency’ in the Tamil areas. The pro-Eelam meet called by the DMK has run into rough weather with city police refusing permission, forcing the party to change the venue of its much touted event, even as the Centre did a U-turn saying it had no objection to the word ‘Eelam’ (separate homeland) being used.

A single judge of Madras High court had on Saturday declined to hear a plea by Tamil Eelam Supporters Organisation, challenging the ban citing security reasons.

The matter will come up before a bench later in the day.

Recalling his fast in 2009 that was undertaken to demand a ceasefire when the war between Lankan forces and LTTE was at its peak, Karunanidhi said he had only given it up relying on the version of the Union government, which in turn ‘was misguided by Colombo’.

Based on the Sri Lankan statement that the war was stopped, the then External Affairs Minister had issued a statement, a copy of which was sent to him at the fast site, he said.

“Since I believed that the war was over, I gave up my fast, but what happened was that the Sri Lankan government misguided the Government of India and indeed the whole world. I had to rely on the version of the Government of India,” the DMK patriarch said.

Karunanidhi’s remarks are seen as the DMK chief’s first attempt to clarify why he called off the fast within a few hours of launching it, in the face of heavy criticism particularly from AIADMK that it was a drama. (PTI)

http://www.asianage.com/india/karuna-calls-solutions-sri-lankan-tamils-issue-104

The Hindu – Government will study draft of resolution against Sri Lanka: Krishna

Chennai, 19 March 2012. 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 Ealam 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.

http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/article3011498.ece?homepage=true