Chennai US Consulate refuses to meet Vaiko on Lanka
Former Indian MP and MDMK general secretary Vaiko charged that the US Consulate in Chennai had “disrespected” Tamils by not allowing him to meet the Consul General and present a memorandum on the stand the country had taken on international
Vaiko Seeks International Probe into Lankan Genocide
CHENNAI: MDMK general secretary Vaiko on Tuesday submitted a memorandum at the US Consulate General in Chennai urging the US government to reconsider its decision to support a domestic probe into the genocide of Sri Lankan Tamils.
However, the US Consul General, who initially gave an appointment to Vaiko, refused to meet him, the MDMK claimed in a press release here.
Vaiko was also not allowed inside the Consulate, and the Economic and Political Advisor received the memorandum.
In the memorandum, Vaiko said, “Tamils have been demanding an independant international investigation into the genocide of Tamils by the Sri Lankan armed forces. We have demanded that the forces deployed in the North and East of the island be withdrawn.”
The statement by Nishi Desai Biswal, an American citizen of Indian origin, who is the Assistant Secretary of State dealing with South Asia Affairs, that the war crimes would be subject to a domestic investigation by Sri Lanka itself and the US would engage with Lanka to deal with the issue, was a somersault at its worst, the memorandum said.
“The same US Government, along with four other countries, moved a resolution that the grave issue of war crimes and violation of human rights by the Sri Lankan Government will be investigated by an independent international body. The resolution was adopted with the support of many countries, despite the fact that India and Pakistan abstained from voting,” Vaiko said.