INDIA: Indian protesters burns effigies of Sri Lankan president Mahinda Rajapaksa demanding Delhi call on the United Nations to force a war crimes investigation

Record ID: 1374217

  • Title: INDIA: Indian protesters burns effigies of Sri Lankan president Mahinda Rajapaksa demanding Delhi call on the United Nations to force a war crimes investigation
  • Date: 20th March 2013
  • Summary: MUMBAI, MAHARASHTRA, INDIA (MARCH 20, 2013) (ORIGINALLY 4: 3) (ANI-NO ACCESS BBC) PROTEST IN PROGRESS PEOPLE PROTESTING ON STAGE GENERAL SECRETARY OF INDIA'S REGIONAL MARUMALARCHI DRAVIDA MUNNETRA KAZHAGAM (MDMK) VAIKO GOPALSWAMY SITTING ON STAGE DURING THE PROTEST A MAN ADDRESSING THE PROTESTERS VAIKO RAISING SLOGANS DURING THE PROTEST PEOPLE SITTING IN PROTEST (SOUNDBITE) (English) GENERAL SECRETARY OF INDIA'S REGIONAL MARUMALARCHI DRAVIDA MUNNETRA KAZHAGAM (MDMK) VAIKO GOPALSWAMY, SAYING: "Our demand is very clear, there should be independent international investigation against the crime of genocide committed by the racial Sri Lankan government and before that the singly settlement should be brought out, army and police should be withdrawn and there should be an economy embargo under Sri Lankan government." PROTEST IN PROGRESS VAIKO ADDRESSING THE MEDIA COIMBATORE, TAMIL NADU, INDIA (MARCH 20, 2013) (ORIGINALLY 4: 3) (ANI-NO ACCESS BBC) LAWYERS STANDING IN PROTEST LAWYERS PROTESTING ON STREETS PROTESTERS HOLDING AN EFFIGY PROTEST IN PROGRESS LAWYERS BURNING EFFIGY EFFIGY BURNING PROTEST IN PROGRESS NEW DELHI, INDIA (MARCH 20, 2013) (ORIGINALLY 4: 3) (ANI-NO ACCESS BBC) INDIA'S JUNIOR MINISTER AT THE PRIME MINISTER'S OFFICE (PMO), V. NARAYANASAMY INTERACTING WITH MEDIA (SOUNDBITE) (English) INDIA'S JUNIOR MINISTER AT THE PRIME MINISTER'S OFFICE (PMO), V. NARAYANASAMY, SAYING: "As far as the government of India is concerned, the Prime Minister, the UPA (United Progressive Alliance) chairperson, our leader Rahul Gandhi, he is also concerned with that. The Congress president very clearly told yesterday that India wants an independent and impartial enquiry on the Human Rights violation in Sri Lanka and the government of India will take all possible steps in the United Nations, when the NHRC (National Human Rights Commission) resolution is coming. Now there is a demand at the time when three ministers went to Tamil Nadu's Chennai to meet Dr. Kalaignar- AK Antony, P Chidambararm and Ghulam Nabi Azad, there was a discussion in which it emerged that there should be a resolution also in the parliament condemning the Sri Lankan government for Human Rights violation." CAR LEAVING
  • Embargoed: 4th April 2013 21:15
  • Keywords:
  • Location: India
  • Country: India
  • Topics: Conflict,International Relations,Politics
  • Reuters ID: LVA2J05AS8QMT23193A0Z3WPQ06N
  • Aspect Ratio: 4:3
  • Story Text: People across India took to the streets on Wednesday (March 20) burning effigies of Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa, demanding the federal government pushes for a U.N Resolution urging the island nation to investigate war crime allegations.
    Protesters chanted slogans and held placards in Mumbai.
    General Secretary of India's regional Marumalarchi Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (MDMK) Vaiko Gopalsamy called for an international investigation into allegations the Sri Lankan carried out genocide at the end of a bitter civil war.
    "Our demand is very clear, there should be independent international investigation against the crime of genocide committed by the racial Sri Lankan government and before that the singly settlement should be brought out, army and police should be withdrawn and there should be an economy embargo under Sri Lankan government," said Vaiko.
    Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa is under fire from the U.N. Human Rights Council, which last year adopted a United States-sponsored resolution demanding that Sri Lanka ensure government troops who may have committed war crimes during the war with Tamil rebels are brought to justice.
    In Coimbatore city in India's southern Tamil Nadu state, lawyers took to the streets in protest burning an effigy of Sri Lankan President Rajapaksa.
    The 30-year-long civil war between the government and the Tamil Tiger rebels who at one time controlled large swathes of the north of the island state is estimated to have left tens of thousands of people dead or injured.
    International investigators, whose findings have been rejected by the Sri Lankan authorities, have said the army committed large-scale abuses and was responsible for many civilian deaths in the final stages of the war.
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