India yet to decide on rights resolution against Sri Lanka

By A Special Correspondent | The Hindu
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India is yet to take a position on the U.S.-backed resolution against Sri Lanka at the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC). “But the general view in [the] country, specific to human rights resolutions, is that they do more harm than good. This has been our response to such resolutions for a number of years,” said official sources.

India is still to take a stand on the resolution backed by Norway and western countries, besides the U.S., though Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Jayalalithaa has written twice to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh demanding that New Delhi go with it, while Pakistan, along with the Organisation of Islamic Countries (OIC), Russia and China, has supported Sri Lanka.

“We strongly believe that Sri Lanka must be provided with the time and space required to continue with its genuine national endeavours towards achieving this objective, without external pressure,” Pakistan has said on behalf of the OIC. Russia and China have expressed similar sentiments, opposing attempts by western countries to hold a country accountable while it is trying to come to terms with the ethnic divide and a decades-long violent conflict.

Political resolution

New Delhi has backed Colombo in previous attempts to arraign it for civilian killings in 2009, but during bilateral diplomatic engagements India has urged political resolution of the feeling of alienation among Tamils. At times, it has expressed dismay at the pace of the political reconciliation process but continued helping the war-ravaged north and east Sri Lanka by beginning work on affordable houses, rail track upgrading, port expansion and electricity grid interconnection.

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