Backed by 14 lakh Indians, Amnesty seeks Sri Lanka probe
Amnesty International Friday gave a petition to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh signed by 14 lakh Indians seeking an independent probe into allegations of war crimes in Sri Lanka.
|Last Updated: Mar 08, 2013, 05:44 PM IST|Source: Bureau
New Delhi: Amnesty International Friday gave a petition to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh signed by 14 lakh Indians seeking an independent probe into allegations of war crimes in Sri Lanka.
Amnesty India chief executive G Ananthapadmanabhan handed over the petition to V. Narayanasamy, the minister of state in the Prime Minister`s Office.
"This petition represents the voices of 14 lakh ordinary Indian citizens asking India to play a stronger role in seeking justice in Sri Lanka," Ananthapadmanabhan said.
"This is a demand for an end to the impunity for past and present human rights violations in Sri Lanka," he added.
The petition, addressed to the prime minister, urges him to stand up for justice in Sri Lanka and to act to end the climate of impunity perpetuated by Colombo, Amnesty said.
The petition asks the Indian government to support an independent international investigation into allegations of crimes under international law committed by the Sri Lankan government and the Tamil Tigers.
It also seeks a UN-led mechanism to monitor the human rights situation in Sri Lanka, and asks Colombo to repeal the Prevention of Terrorism Act and also end attacks and intimidation of critics.
Over the past eight months, Amnesty International has used integrated voice enabling and response mechanism and SMS to campaign for justice in Sri Lanka.
The petition follows widespread allegations that the Sri Lankan military killed tens of thousands of innocent Tamils in the war that vanquished the Tamil Tigers in May 2009.
IANS
By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device to enhance site navigation, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts.
Cookies Setting
By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device and the processing of information obtained via those cookies (including about your preferences, device and online activity) by us and our commercial partners to enhance site navigation, personalise ads, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts. More information can be found in our Cookies and Privacy Policy. You can amend your cookie settings to reject non-essential cookies by clicking Cookie Settings below.
Manage Consent Preferences
Strictly Necessary Cookies
These cookies are necessary for the website to function and cannot be switched off in our systems. They are usually only set in response to actions made by you which amount to a request for services, such as setting your privacy preferences, logging in or filling in forms. You can set your browser to block or alert you about these cookies, but some parts of the site will not then work or you may not be able to login.
Functional Cookies
These cookies enable the website to provide enhanced functionality and personalisation. They may be set by us or by third party providers whose services we have added to our pages. If you do not allow these cookies then some or all of these services may not function properly.
Targeting Cookies
These cookies may be set through our site by our advertising partners. They may be used by those companies to build a profile of your interests and show you relevant adverts on other sites. They are also used to limit the number of times you see an advert as well as help measure the effectiveness of an advertising campaign. They do not store directly personal information, but are based on uniquely identifying your browser and internet device. If you do not allow these cookies, you will experience less targeted advertising.
Performance Cookies
These cookies allow us to count visits and traffic sources so we can measure and improve the performance of our site. They help us to know which pages are the most and least popular and see how visitors move around the site. All information these cookies collect is aggregated and therefore anonymous. If you do not allow these cookies we may not know when you have visited our site, and may not be able to monitor its performance.