People's Democracy

On Sri Lankan Tamils Issue

The Polit Bureau of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) issued the following statement on March 16, 2013.

THOUGH four years have passed since the end of the hostilities between the Sri Lankan army and the LTTE, no meaningful steps have been taken to address the issues of atrocities committed during the last phase of the war. Enough evidence exists about war crimes against innocent civilians. The UN Human Rights Council had adopted a resolution in March 2012, asking the Sri Lankan government to implement the recommendations of the Lessons Learnt and Reconciliation Commission. Since then, there has been no progress in the matter.

At the UN Human Rights Council meeting, the government of India should take the stand that the Sri Lankan government should agree to a high level, credible and independent enquiry on the allegations of war crimes committed during the last phase of the civil war.

It is also a matter of concern that the Sri Lankan president, Rajapaksa, has declared that no autonomy will be given to the Tamil speaking areas. By this, he has gone back from his own stand that something more than the 13th amendment to the constitution can be provided in terms of devolution of power to the Tamil speaking region. The government of India should take up this matter and press upon the Sri Lankan government to arrive at a political settlement so that adequate power is devolved to the Tamil speaking areas.