UPA Government has let down Sri Lankan Tamils – Advani

BJP demands immediate end of war by Colombo
Yet another glaring foreign policy failure of the UPA Government is unfolding before our eyes in Sri Lanka. Lakhs of hapless Tamilians in Sri Lanka have had to flee from their homes in their ancestral land in the country’s northern areas, as the Sri Lankan government has intensified a fierce battle in the region, disregarding calls for a ceasefire from the international community.

It is sad to see that the UPA Government has failed to prevail upon the Sri Lankan government to end this grave humanitarian crisis.

The leadership of the Congress party and UPA government has reduced India’s role to that of a passive spectator, even as shocking statements about the LTTE are being made by partners in the UPA Government. It has failed to make a clear distinction between the LTTE, which is a terrorist organization, and the fate of Sri Lankan Tamils. It has virtually turned a blind eye when, in the name of fighting the LTTE, the Sri Lankan Government has continued to ignore and suppress the legitimate concerns and democratic aspirations of Sri Lankan Tamils.

The BJP reiterates its stand that the ethnic issue in Sri Lanka can be resolved only on the basis of two equally important principles: safeguarding the unity of Sri Lanka and recognition of the inalienable democratic rights of Sri Lankan Tamils to live a life of dignity and equality.

The BJP demands an immediate ceasefire in Sri Lanka and resumption of peaceful methods of finding an enduring solution to the ethnic issue.