The US support to a domestic probe into the Sri Lankan war crimes evoked more protests in Tamil Nadu on Tuesday, the ANI news agency reported.
Hundreds of members of the regional Tamilaga Valvurimai Katchi (TVK) took to the streets against the US action and demanded Indian government to press for an international enquiry into the wartime atrocities that claimed over 40,000 lives.
The US has moved a resolution in the United Nations, urging Sri Lanka to set up a ‘hybrid’ court with international judges to prosecute war criminals.
The protesters were later detained by the police. The United States has taken a U-turn on the matter, reversing its demand for an international probe. On Monday (September 28), another regional party Marumalarchi Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam had hit the streets and burnt US flag.
Meanwhile Marumalarchi Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam leader Vaiko has blamed the erstwhile United Progressive Alliance government, the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam and the Pattali Makkal Katchi for the killing of Tamils in Sri Lanka during the civil war.
Talking to reporters outside the Coimbatore International Airport on Tuesday, he said that September 30 would be a Black Day for the Tamils – the day United Nations Human Rights Council will take up for hearing the war crimes allegedly committed by the Sri Lankan Army against the Tamils. Criticising the Centre’s stand in the issue, he said that the youth of Tamil Nadu should come to the streets in protest against the killing of innocent Tamil civilians like Isaipriya and LTTE chief Prabhakaran’s son Balachandran.
Vaiko said the NDA government’s conduct is no different from that of the UPA government. (Colombo Gazette)