AMRITSAR SAHIB—Taking a cue from the US sponsored UN resolution calling for credible independent investigation against war crimes committed in Sri Lanka, the Dal Khalsa said the blood of innocent Sikhs, spilled in the precincts of Sri Darbar Sahib (Golden Temple) in June of 1984, and in the streets of Delhi during November of 1984, as well as in extra-judicial killings which occurred in Punjab, cries out for justice and seeks the attention of the international Sikh community.
Realizing that UN intervention in South Asia has been negligible, the party’s secretary for political affairs Kanwar Pal Singh sent a letter addressed to the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Ms Navi Pillay, urging the UN to intervene in India, and also to ensure justice, and the protection of rights, particularly the right to self-determination, for the Sikhs, and people, of Kashmir.
Prithpal Singh, the Dal Khalsa secretary for human rights, met with Ms Sabina Lauber, a Human Rights Officer in charge of Asia Pacific Section in Geneva and handed over the letter to her. He remained closeted with the lady officer for 30 minutes, who assured him that their concerns, and views, would be conveyed at highest level. To express solidarity with Tamils, and their cause, Prithpal Singh participated in a sit-in organized by European Tamils outside UN headquarters.
During his meet with UN officer, he said like Tamils in Sri Lanka, Sikhs and Kashmiris face similar situation to that of India. He pointed out that while the Tamil human rights groups have succeeded in getting the attention of the world community and the UN, Sikh efforts [for justice] have not had much success. Mr Singh said,”Sikhs and Kashmiris have been crying hoarse for decades to no avail, and that India has committed gross violations of human rights. Like Sri Lanka, India too has continuously flouted UN resolutions, UN treaties, and conventions. The Kashmiris have had their long-pending historic right to plebiscite sanctioned by the UN, but still there is no UN intervention.”
The Dal Khalsa memo expressed its displeasure that the US backed resolution nullifies the spirit of a proper UN intervention, as it does not lead to a political solution of the crisis in Sri Lanka, and more significantly, it does not address the Eelam Tamils’ aspirations. Singh added, “There’s no doubt that punishing the perpetrators of war crimes in Sri Lanka was required, but mere punishment without recourse to seeking a political resolution of the conflict is like losing Crimea to Russia, and then imposing sanctions.”
