Live streams

News / Asia

UN Vote on Sri Lankan Civil War Threatens Indian Government

Leader of the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam party M. Karunanidhi speaks at a press conference withdrawing support to India’s ruling United Progressive Alliance government, at the party office in Chennai, India, March 19, 2013.Leader of the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam party M. Karunanidhi speaks at a press conference withdrawing support to India’s ruling United Progressive Alliance government, at the party office in Chennai, India, March 19, 2013.
x
Leader of the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam party M. Karunanidhi speaks at a press conference withdrawing support to India’s ruling United Progressive Alliance government, at the party office in Chennai, India, March 19, 2013.
Leader of the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam party M. Karunanidhi speaks at a press conference withdrawing support to India’s ruling United Progressive Alliance government, at the party office in Chennai, India, March 19, 2013.

Related Articles

TEXT SIZE - +
Anjana Pasricha

March 19, 2013

NEW DELHI — Discord in India about a United Nations resolution on war crimes committed during Sri Lanka’s civil war has prompted a key regional ally to pull out of the coalition government. The government says its stability is not under threat, but the Congress-led alliance has become more fragile. 

The DMK party, which announced Tuesday it will quit the government, is based in the southern Tamil Nadu state, which has a majority Tamil population. The party has demanded that the government amend an American-sponsored resolution at the United Nations Human Rights Council to declare that Sri Lanka committed genocide against its minority Tamil population in the last stages of a civil war which ended a quarter century Tamil insurgency. The DMK also wants the U.N. resolution to press for an international inquiry.

The U.N. resolution calls on the Sri Lankan government to investigate possible human rights violations during the campaign.

The Congress-led government has not revealed yet what position it will take when the U.N. resolution is put to vote later this week. The DMK party also wants Indian parliament to pass a resolution similar to the one in the United Nations.

The Sri Lankan government has not met commitments to rehabilitate its Tamil population, the spokesperson of the party, T. K. Elangovan, told parliament.

“It is the moral duty of the government of India to see that these assurances were fulfilled or else to put pressure on the government of Sri Lanka to see these assurances are kept up. Why India is a silent spectator," he asked.

India Tamil activists try to push past a barricade during a protest against alleged wartime abuses by Sri Lanka in Chennai, India.
India Tamil activists try to push past a barricade during a protest against alleged wartime abuses by Sri Lanka in Chennai, India.

The government faces a dilemma. On the one hand, it is under pressure from ethnic Tamil parties like the DMK to take a tough stand against Sri Lanka on the question of alleged rights violations against Tamils. But it does not want to anger its tiny neighbor for fear that it will move closer to China.  

The DMK has 18 seats in the lower house of parliament. This includes five government ministers. Its withdrawal makes the Congress alliance, which is already in a minority, more vulnerable.  

However, Finance Minister P. Chidambaram said there is no “crisis” for the government.

“Let me assure everyone that the stability of the government and the continuance of the government are not an issue," he said. "The government is absolutely stable.”

The government is holding talks with the DMK party to find a way out of the current impasse. Unless it can bring the Tamil party back on board, it will have to depend on small regional parties to pass legislation and will face more political uncertainty in the last year of its five-year term.

You May Like

FILE- Unmanned Predator B drone, taken November 8, 2011.

Pakistan Reiterates Opposition to US Drone Strikes

Day earlier US President Barack Obama justified 'constrained' drone usage to save lives More
Authorities are taking samples of live poultry from mainland China to test for the H7N9 virus, April 11, 2013.

Study Identifies Risks of Human Spread of H7N9 Bird Flu

Study suggest that international measures to contain the H7N9 influenza, in the event of severe outbreak, will need to be targeted in Asia More
Anti government protesters burn tires and place rocks in the streets in Conakry, Guinea, May 3, 2013

Violence Continues in Conakry Over Upcoming Elections

Opposition has called for boycott of elections More
Syria

Video Syria's Civil War Fuels Violence in Iraq

Analysts say al-Qaida-linked militants are flowing back and forth from both countries More
Star Trek Influence Lives Long and Prospers

Video Star Trek Influence Lives Long and Prospers

As new movie thrills, many are once again discussing the iconic franchise's influence on society, science and technology More
A view of Badong city on the banks of the Yangtze River, in Hubei province, China, August 7, 2012.

OECD: Developing Green Cities Key to Sustainable Future

OECD suggests strategies to mitigate rapid growth, industrialization in urban centers, which produce about two-thirds of greenhouse gas emissions More
This forum has been closed.
Comment Sorting
Comments
     
by: Elavarasan from: Chennai
March 20, 2013 10:32 AM
Report Comment
This is bullshit, I don’t know why these Indian politicians hesitating to put vote for Tamils against Lanka, One Delhi girl got raped which reveals this as big issue by Media people and by politicians.....The same things happened for Thousands of our Indian sisters as well as many murders but both Media people and Politicians not talking about this as big issue..... Even some Politicians know about these murders and rapes in this situation they hesitate to put vote for our own people even when other countries are ready to support for us.....India will never grow if these kinds of politician people under ruling in India…..

by: Ganesh from: London
March 20, 2013 3:06 AM
Report Comment
Congress led India has supported the Srilankan sinhala state since indira-gandhi passed away. Nomatter who demands it, Student's of Tamilnaadu or politicians at the end the Support of Mainland-Tamils for their Island-Tamils has been there and it will continue. A genocide on Tamils occured in May 2009 " the Blood Bath on Beach" An international Investigations is a must before reconciliation...No Justice No Peace....Congress Central Goverment does not bother about Tamilnaadu fisherman getting killed by Sihala Navy.. so is Tamil Life less worth then any Others???

In Response
by: Vinoth from: US
March 20, 2013 9:58 PM
Report Comment
always tamilnadu fisherman cross the sri lankan board so Sri lankan navy arrested the indian fisherman and indian fisherman have a no authorize to cross the sri lankan boarder.

by: Tamil from: California
March 19, 2013 2:17 PM
Report Comment
Mr. Karunanithi is an opportunistic vulture of Tamil Nadu, who disgraced Tamils for decades. I am a Tamil speaking Indian as well.
Jaya Lalitha is not Tamil Nadu born and she is doing better than him for Tamils ( I am not her fan at all). When LTTE massacred Sri Lankan Tamils that was not genocide for DMK, even though LTTE was the acting state at the time [collected tax]. When LTTE murdered Rajive that was not murder for DMK, because Karunanithi and Prabakaran are peas from the same pod.
He has many noise making clowns in parliament and Indian ministry. Hope Tamil speaking Indians will unmask these kind of guys.

by: prabath dlk from: Tokyo
March 19, 2013 10:41 AM
Report Comment
This shows Real Double standers of us & India ..America cannot remember how many Innocent people the LTTE killed in sri lanka
Sinhalese , Tamils , ..
Americans can go to other country to totally destroy country's Like Irak, Afghanistan, Libya did Sri Lanka did some thing different yes they did it in there own back yard , & they succeeded ..Why Double standers

by: RR from: Boston
March 19, 2013 10:29 AM
Report Comment
The srilankan tamil cause lost all credibility with India when the tamils turned against the IPKF who were there specifically to protect their interests, just so that the tamil tigers and Prabhakaran could hold on to power.

Then, to make matters worse they killed Rajiv Gandhi.

We can't be particularly bothered about them. They are not trust worthy and brought everything that's happening to them upon themselves. You can jab a dog and complain that it bit you.

Featured Videos

Your JavaScript is turned off or you have an old version of Adobe's Flash Player. Get the latest Flash player.
Your JavaScript is turned off or you have an old version of Adobe's Flash Player. Get the latest Flash player.
Video

Video Volunteers Help Revive LA's Concrete River

The Los Angeles River is a concrete drainage channel through much of its 80-kilometer length. It channels waste-water from storm drains and has become a receptacle for much of the city's trash. But as Mike O'Sullivan reports, the river is slowly being restored with the help of volunteers, who take part in an annual clean-up.
Volunteers Help Revive LA's Concrete River Calls Grow For An End to Sexual Assaults in US Military US Oil Surge Could Impact Mideast Geopolitics Valley Fever Raises Concerns in California, Arizona Boston Bomber Spent 6 Months in Russia’s Most Violent Republic

More Asia News

Children run from explosions in busy part of Kabul, May 24, 2013.

Four Killed in Taliban Attack in Kabul

RAF Typhoon Aircraft of the type that escorted a passenger plane into Stansted Airport following on-board incident, southern England, May 24, 2013 file photo.

British Police Arrest Two on Diverted Pakistani Airliner

FILE- Unmanned Predator B drone, taken November 8, 2011.

Pakistan Reiterates Opposition to US Drone Strikes

National Security Adviser Tom Donilon speaks during the daily news briefing at the White House in Washington, May 17, 2012.

Suspicions High as US, China Summit Nears

Osaka Mayor Toru Hashimoto listens to reporters' questions at the Osaka city hall in Osaka, western Japan, May 24, 2013.

Korean Women Scrap Meeting Japanese Mayor over Brothel Remarks

A car, second from left, believed to be carrying North Korean envoy Choe Ryong Hae, is escorted by a convoy of cars as it leaves Beijing's Diaoyutai State Guesthouse, May 24, 2013.

North Korea Envoy Wraps Up Visit to China

Indian Soldiers Killed in Kashmir Attack

North Korean envoy Choe Ryong Hae, center right, tours Beijing Economic-Technological Development Area, an industrial park in the southern part of Beijing, May 23, 2013.

Pyongyang Willing to Take China's Advice on Talks

Pipelines criss-cross at the Paloch oil field in South Sudan on Sunday, May 5, 2013.
Transparency

New Standards Approved for Extractive Industries

More Articles

Blogs

Science World