TN demands economic sanctions against Sri Lanka on Tamil issue

The Tamil Nadu Assembly adopted a unanimous resolution on Wednesday, asking the central government to impose economic sanctions against the neighbouring Sri Lanka over the issues related to Tamils in the island nation.

The resolution, which was moved by chief minister J Jayalalithaa, also asked the Union government to press the United Nations (UN) to declare as ?war criminals? those who had committed crimes during the conflict with the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) in Sri Lanka.

After moving the resolution in the Assembly, Jayalalithaa said only economic sanctions would rein in the island country. She added Sri Lanka ?did not heed the global opinion when it came to the Tamils issue?.

?For the return of Tamils lodged in camps to their native places and to ensure equal rights for dignified living on par with the (majority) Sinhala, India with other countries should jointly impose economic sanctions on Sri Lankan government,? she said. ?If India and other countries jointly impose economic sanctions against Sri Lanka, the island nation will listen to what we say,? she said replying to the debate on the resolution.

Economic sanctions were a ?temporary measure,? as that would make Sri Lanka do what ?we say? in short term, she said, adding, the demand was being made as ?we have no other go.?

According to her, there were serious allegations and reports of Sri Lanka committing human rights violations and preventing aid from reaching the suffering Tamils.

The chief minister said Tamils had been struggling against being treated as ?second class citizens in their own country? even after Sri Lanka got independence from the British. She, however, said terrorism had crept in the name of Tamil Eelam, which had even resulted in fratricide. She recalled that after the assassination of Rajiv Gandhi in 1991 on Tamil soil, the sympathy here towards LTTE had turned into an anger against them.

Jayalalithaa said it was on her insistence that the Centre had first banned LTTE in India in 1992.

She also recalled that it was her government in 2002 which passed a resolution in the Assembly demanding the arrest and extradition of slain LTTE leader V Prabhakaran in connection with Rajiv Gandhi?s assassination.