Marumalarchi Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (MDMK) general secretary and Indian Rajya Sabha MP Vaiko has written to the President of the European Parliament, among other global organisations, calling upon the members of the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) and other affiliated UN agencies and Member States to accept the right to self-determination of the Tamils and organise a referendum in Sri Lanka under the supervision of the United Nations.
Vaiko has also requested the UNHRC members to recognise the genocide resolution passed unanimously in the Northern Provincial Council of Sri Lanka on February 10, 2015 and direct appropriate measures at the International Criminal Court outlining that the affected Tamil people in Sri Lanka have no faith in any domestic commission or inquiry.
Vaiko in his letter has also said India should work together with Council Members to have a new Resolution under Agenda 4 to appoint a special rapporteur to monitor and investigate ongoing human rights violations and repression of the Tamil people.
Vaiko said the special rapporteur should monitor and investigate human rights violations in the island nation, undertake a country visit to Sri Lanka and to the region and engage with relevant stakeholders, submit reports to the General Assembly and Human Rights Council on the situation of human rights in the North and East of Sri Lanka; and engage publicly on issues of concern, including through press releases.
Vaiko also demanded that all political detainees be released or brought to justice without any further delay.
(The Hindu)
