4TH LEAD (UPDATE, ADDS COMMENTS)

TN Assembly passes resolution to indict Sri Lanka, impose economic sanctions

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 08 June 2011, 08:44 GMT]
The Tamil Nadu State Assembly on Wednesday mid noon unanimously passed a resolution requesting the Indian government to indict Sri Lanka for war crimes and crimes against humanity at the UN, and to work along with world countries to impose economic sanctions on Sri Lanka until Tamils in the island are rehabilitated and get equal rights. The resolution accused Sri Lanka on five counts based on the UN panel report. The DMK was absent at that time as it was boycotting the house on some other issue. The resolution was passed unanimously when more than two third were present in the house.

The following were the counts on which the resolution was made: failure of Sri Lanka in constitutionally resolving the righteous demands of Tamils since independence; working for complete extermination of Tamils in the island; mass killings of innocent Tamils, other atrocities and failure in humanitarian action during the war; continued human rights abuses after the war and human rights abuses on media persons and others outside of the war zone.

The Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Ms. Jayalalitha came out with almost similar views while making her first public speech after her unprecedented victory to the 14th Assembly last month.

The resolution now comes when there is a criticism that her earlier speech was “heart swaying over the head” and the Governor’s Speech delineating the state government’s official policies last week didn’t reflect the spirit of what she said in her victory speech.

Political observers in Chennai say that while an anti-Eezham Tamil faction of her advisors tries to dissuade her from intervening in ‘foreign affairs’ there are others who believe Tamils in the island could still be made into Sri Lankans, try to make her committed only to the war crimes investigation but not for Eezham Tamil independence.

The war crimes investigations stand could be made use of to vent sentiments in Tamil Nadu to find political acceptance for a half-baked solution that will be sneaked through. The priority should be for liberation of Eezham Tamils and not for indicting Rajapaksa who only acted as directed by the powers, say political analysts in Tamil Nadu independent of the intelligence-operated analysis groups based in Chennai.

New Delhi’s National Security Advisor, Shiv Shankar Menon who was shuttling during the war to determine its course and Foreign Secretary Nirupama Menon Rao are expected to visit Colombo later this week to hold consultations with their Sri Lankan counterparts over the steps for a lasting peace in Sri Lanka, media reports from Chennai said. Their visit scheduled earlier in mid May was cancelled after an extraordinary verdict from the people of Tamil Nadu in the elections.

The leftist group in the European Union Parliament is several steps ahead of Tamil Nadu State Assembly in recognizing and resolving in favour of the right to self determination of Eezham Tamils including their right to secede, pointed out Tamil political circles in the island and in the diaspora, while acknowledging that Ms. Jayalalitha is carefully moving her cards.

Chronology:


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