Break diplomatic relations with Sri Lanka: Vaiko tells India

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 15 October 2008, 18:48 GMT]
The MDMK General Secretary Vaiko on Wednesday blamed the union cabinet of India for its 'crime and treachery' against Eezham Tamils by providing military assistance to Sinhalese. The fact of India's military help to Sri Lanka has been conceded in a letter written to him by the Indian PM, he said. "This is being done with full knowledge that such assistances are used for the genocide of Tamils. India should withdraw all assistance and compel Colombo to stop the war. Failing, India should warn Sri Lanka of severed diplomatic ties and imposition of economic sanctions. DMK should withdraw its support to the Congress-led coalition government and the Tamil ministers in the union cabinet should resign if India is not acting in these lines", he demanded in a statement issued from the headquarters of MDMK in Chennai.

Vaiko was quoting from a letter written to him by the Indian Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh on 2nd October, in which he had reportedly stated that India's military assistance to Sri Lanka was to uphold the unity and integrity of Sri Lanka. Vaiko says this is a testimony from the PM on the military assistance.

Vaiko's demands included the withdrawal of the radars supplied to the Sri Lanka Air Force, withdrawal of Indian military contingent in Sri Lanka, freezing monetary assistance, canceling agreement on intelligence exchange, stopping military training in India for members of the Sri Lanka armed forces, pressurizing Colombo to stop the war, restarting peace negotiations through Norway mediation and pressurizing Sri Lanka to allow UN offices to operate.

Vaiko also indicated that the two sitting MDMK Members of Parliament would not hesitate to join the resignation campaign.