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Lanka vote: Amnesty slams India for staying away

New Delhi, March 29
Amnesty International has criticised India's decision to abstain on a crucial UN Human Rights Council vote on Sri Lanka, saying it is an abdication of its human rights responsibilities and unbecoming of an emerging democracy.

India was one of 12 countries that abstained from a vote to task the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) to investigate allegations of abuses and crimes committed by all sides of the brutal conflict in Sri Lanka.

"It is a shame that India has put narrow conceptions of 'national interest' over the human rights of people in Sri Lanka," programmes director at Amnesty International India Shashikumar Velath said in a statement.

"As an emerging global player, India's new power brings with it new human rights responsibilities. India must stand not with the government of Sri Lanka, but its people who have survived human rights abuses.

"By abstaining on this vote, India has turned its back on the opportunity to be a strong voice in support of human rights in the region," he said.

Velath said the government has also let down civil society actors and elected representatives in Sri Lanka, and over 2.5 million people in India, who had called for an international investigation.

In a statement, the Indian government had said the resolution has the potential to hinder the efforts of the country rather than contribute constructively to its efforts.

"Finance Minister P Chidambaram said on March 28 that India should have supported the resolution," Velath said. "Not only have the Sri Lankan authorities failed to secure justice for war crimes and possible crimes against humanity, they are also actively targeting those seeking justice," he added. — PTI