The AIADMK will not join a 15-member parliamentary delegation scheduled to leave for Sri Lanka on April 16, arguing that the visit may prove an eyewash, its general secretary and Chief Minister Jayalalithaa said here on Wednesday.
In a statement, Ms. Jayalalithaa said that she had decided to depute Rajya Sabha MP William Rabi Bernard at the request of the Centre, which is sending the delegation to inspect developmental activities taken up there with Indian assistance for resettling and rehabilitating the Tamils displaced by the prolonged strife.
She had agreed to depute a party representative hoping that the visit would help the delegation understand the real situation in Sri Lanka and provide some solace for the Tamils if it were to interact with them.
She was under the impression that the team would be able to identify the flaws in the resettlement and rehabilitation efforts of the Sri Lankan government. However, the itinerary prepared by the External Affairs Ministry provided no opportunity for the team members to interact with the Tamils.
“On the contrary, priority has been accorded only for meetings and banquets with top Sri Lankan leaders, including President Mahinda Rajapaksa. The itinerary looks as if the tour itself is a formality and that the agenda has been chalked out by the Sri Lankan government to create a favourable impression for it in India. This view is strengthened by the absence of journalists, human rights activists and independent observers in the delegation,” she said.
“I think the visit of this delegation will prove an eyewash, as was the case with the 2009 visit of a parliamentary delegation, in which Kanimozhi, daughter of Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam president M. Karunanidhi, was also a member, and which enjoyed a banquet with Mr. Rajapaksa and received gifts,” she said.
Ms. Jayalalithaa alleged that Mr. Rajapaksa had not accepted even the “soft resolution” passed by the UNHRC, had failed to stop attacks on Tamil fishermen by his navy and had plans to represent before the International Atomic Energy Agency against the Kudankulam Nuclear Power Project.
As his government continued to indulge in anti-Tamil activities, evinced no change in attitude towards Tamils, and the delegation had not been given an opportunity to discuss the “realities” with Mr. Rajapaksa, the AIADMK had decided to withdraw its representative from the delegation.
Recalling that the Assembly had passed a resolution urging the Centre to press the U.N. to declare those involved in genocide in Sri Lanka as war criminals, Ms. Jayalalithaa said that the House had also called sought economic embargo on Sri Lanka until all those displaced returned to their native place to lead a life of dignity. The Centre did not act on this resolution.
It was because of her tough stand that it shed its ambivalence and voted in favour of the US-sponsored resolution condemning Sri Lanka for human rights violations at the UN Human Rights Council, but that too was done only after diluting its tenor. “I thanked the Centre then because it will be the first step towards Tamils gaining their rights,” she said.
Keywords: Sri Lanka parliamentary panel, Sri Lankan Tamils, Mahinda Rajapaksa government, UNHRC resolution
Violence should be rejected everywhere, whatever the form and what ever
the case at all cost. Human rights are violating on tamils in lanka, no
democracy, no law, no protection for people. Jaya has taken a wonderful
step, we don't require an eye wash, these north based corrupt
politicians never understand the grief of tamils in lanka and they never
know the navy attacks on tamil fishermen...
CM Jayalalitha has made the correct decision to withdraw the AIADMK
representative from the MP team to Sri Lanka. Instead the MPs should
form a team to push for war crimes against the rogue Rajapakse regime.
Only when the Rajapakse clan is removed from power and punished at the
ICC can there be an opportunity to seek reconciliation.
Gamini Fernando: Backward state?? We are a nation heading towards complete development in all walks of life. we have our issues...but we never tried to show ourselves developed by destroying an entire community of backward people!! Dont forget Tamils in Srilanka were on top of the developed community in Srilanka until the Sinhalese majority decided to make them backward by enacting laws against them. The Sinhalese majority did not have the courage or the education to beat the developed tamils! So you destroyed them. Jayalalithaa may be a politician...but she is not a murderer!! And whether you like it or not...Jayalalithaa was voted as CM by us Indian Tamils!! In your country, your president arrested the person who opposed him and is making changes in law in order to become the permanent president of Srilanka!! So please...the fact that Hillary Clinton met Jaya and pressed even further for the U.N resolution is a sign that they care more about ELECTED indian Policitians than your Prez.
Note to all singhalese that are posting here : We kindly request you to write in your local newspapers if you want to spread your hatred and chauvinism here against the Tamil people. Your views are not welcome here in a balanced mainstream forum that the Hindu offers.
Specifically to the comment form nimal, there is no racism amongst the Tamil people of TN against anyone. We play host to a large budist presence from Lanka and we get singhalese lankans coming to Chennai and Tiruchi regularly. People in TN have been very patient with the killings of Tamil fishermen by the singhalese navy, often accompanied by triumphalism on their part, only to be denied later. And what happened in Nandikadal and other parts of northern lanka are just too horrible to contemplate, and Tamil people have felt very exercised at the way the singhalese armed forces have massacred, raped and imprisoned the civilian Tamil population of northern and eastern lanka, and spread their singhalese settlements all over
Hi Alex,
how can we forgot the genocide against to the minority as you said
tamils.every body know tamils are minority but that srilankan government
is working against to tamils. north and east is belongs to tamils, doesn't matter whether they are minority. yaalpanam, thirukonamali,
maddakkilapu, mannaar, kilinochi, vanni all are tamil name not a singala
name. tamil culture also entairely different from singalese. tamils dont
go to singala temples but singalese goes to tamils temple but they don't
want tamils in srilanka. north and east every 100 yards singala troops
with heavy guns. how can live normal life with these troops. pls deploy
all the troops in south and west.no one cant forget the execution of
tamil done by SL troops. srilanka is not country it is a killing field.
sorry mr alex.
Ms. Jayalalithaa is very welcome not to visit Sri Lanka. The more you
keep away from Sri Lanka the better. She should use her energy and time
to develop her backward state. Thank you.
Tamilnadu Chief Minister Jayalalithaa has done a wise thing in having withdrawn from a eye wash delegation being sent to SL without any mandate to set right wrongs done to the TAmils there.Had she been CM prior to 2010 many precious lives could have been saved.Rajapaksa pursuing a open agenda,whereas Manmohan singh pursing a hidden agenda from the begining.All the policies and programmes of India are paise wise and rupee foolish.The gap is being widening between Tamils and Singalese, thanks to India and Sri Lanka faulty policies.Singalese should decide whether they want to co exist with the Tamils.Tamils want to co-exist with the Singalese.Wicked politicians keep them apart for racial and ethnic reasons.Unless the singalese mend their ways,Tamils will ultimately get what they want-Independence.How long they can wait for peace and dignity of life and endure their hardships? There is a limit to their patience.
The only political capital some Tamil Nadu politicians have is a public image built by lies and deception delivered about the Sri Lankan society. The poverty and illiteracy in TN precludes many voters from reading a newspaper or browsing the web for information. Even if these politicians come to Sri Lanka, they will never accept the facts; thus their coming itself is a waste of time. On a visit like this, a parliamentarian has to meet with the head of state and other leading personalities of the host country. If they want to go directly on the streets looking to meet underworld trouble makers, Sri Lanka is not the place. Go ahead and bury your heads in the sand and lie to TN people about what you never ever saw. Hope the stance of these politicians will make it obvious to TN voters that they are being deceived by persons not making any attempt to properly understand the Sri Lankan context.
@Nimal, this is the usal Sinhala modaya and racist propaganda that if anyone demands for transparency, justice, accountability, rule of law, human rights, they are branded as LTTE, LTTE sympathizers, anti-Sinhala. This is a JOKE!
Sri Lankan Rajapakse regime invites foreign leaders to corrupt them using money and sex and thus they have to say good about the regime that continues to abduct, torture and murder civilians, journalists, who demand for justice through legal means and political opponents. The abduction of the Australian Tamil is an evidence of what is going on in Sri Lanka. Are the Indian politicians going for a picnic, party and meeting the alleged war criminals. The Indian politicians must be free to go anywhere and must be able to collect information form all sources and if not, the trip is a WASTE! Selvi Jeyalalithaa is showing maturity, leadership, decision making skills and cannot be fooled by corrupt people.
I cannot believe who the Congress party is trying to fool. We boast some of the highest literacy rates in India among the big states, not to mention people who are politically conscience. This little drama fools no one. As usual, they are going to go to Lanka, smile at the racist government officials there, have dinner with them while the Tamil people are being abducted and tortured, and come back smiling and saying all is fine. Kudos to the Chief Minister for this bold step!
Well said. It is true. This all drama by the party who done genocide and the party who support to it. Srilanka very clever and it making dispute between Tamil Nadu and North Indian.
Ram, We sincerely hope that your wish will come true soon. Once India breaks up, it is easier to deal with each small country with no great powers, as India does now. USA is working on the same lines too. So, keep threatening and keep doing.
Please understand that Tamils are a minority in Sri lanka and should live alongside the Sinhala people peacefully. Whatever happened has happened and we should look forward to the future to prevent mistrust between the sinhalese & tamils that will lead to violence. Tamil Nadu government should understand the reality and not encourage separatism. They can be more co operative and develop good relations with the Sri lankan government. This will make life easier for the Tamils.
Well done Madam. The delegation is none other than an effort by the Indian and Sri Lankan governments to mislead the people of Tamil Nadu and at the same time 'buy' the Indian MP's to support the genocide of Tamils in that country. The government in Delhi is playing with fire. If it continues to support a genocidal government in Sri Lanka at the expense of Tamils, the unity of India will be tested in the near future.
Tamil Nadu representatives should stay away from Sri Lanka as they are
not welcome in Sri Lanka because of their racist anti-Sinhalese
attitude.
The decision by AIADMK was very wise. The reasons explained were spot on. Sri Lankan government to create a favourable impression for it in India! Other parties in the deligation should re-think!
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