NEW DELHI, India—The Indian chapter of human rights advocacy group, Amnesty International, has criticized India’s move to give up on an important UN human rights Council vote regarding Sri Lanka, saying it is an abdication of its human rights responsibilities, and unbecoming of an emerging democracy.
India was one of 12 countries that abstained from a vote to task the office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) to investigate allegations of abuses, and crimes, committed by all sides in the brutal conflict of Sri Lanka.
“It is a shame that India has put the narrow conception of ‘national interest’ over the human rights of people in Sri Lanka,” stated Shashi Kumar Velath, the program director of Amnesty International India.
The Sikh body of Dal Khalsa also criticized the Indian government for not supporting the US backed UN resolution seeking a credible, independent, and international, probe into war crimes, and human rights abuses in Sri Lanka.
The organization’s head, H.S. Dhami, made a statement that, “India’s ‘reaction’ should be viewed in the backdrop of its own record of ‘gross human rights violations’ meted out to the Sikhs, Kashmiris and other ethnic minorities.” He said,” India has betrayed Tamils, and damaged their cause, time and again.”
Mr. Dhami said that while the western countries had supported the US sponsored resolution against Sri Lanka at the UNHRC, India remained absent from voting in the election held Thursday, March 26, 2014, on the pretext that US proposal was not consistent with the UNHRC principles. “India’s silence is not new. It has always maintained double standards on contentious issues, and many times it had done somersaults.”
He said their group insists that Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa, and his coterie, must stand trial for war crimes, and rights violations. He said their organization has submitted a memo to the office of UN Human Rights High Commissioner Ms Navi Pillay fully supporting the move for an international investigation into the human rights violations which occurred in Sri Lanka during the last phase of the civil war there.
India is another rogue nation under the UPA regime collaborating with the Sri Lankan regime and denying the democratic values.
This resolution is NOT to brek up Sri Lanka. But to breakup India. India saw the plan.
Who cares about break up or not but everyone wants to live in peace, harmony and with democratic values.
When democracy fails, rule of law, human rights, R2P, equality and justice are denied, it is natural that people will demand for freedom and independence.