BJP leaders urge Sri Lanka to resume dialogue with Tamil National Alliance (TNA)
Two leaders of India’s ruling BJP Friday met Sri Lankan Foreign Minister G.L. Peiris and urged that political dialogue be resumed between the island nation’s government and Tamil National Alliance leaders on various issues confronting the Tamil diaspora there.
Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) general secretary Muralidhar Rao, and Global Convenor BJP Overseas Affairs Vijay Jolly, met Peiris for half an hour at the foreign ministry here.
They appreciated the efforts of the Sri Lanka government “to effectively combat terrorism and establishing peace in this SAARC Island nation”, said a press statement from Jolly’s office.
Rao and Jolly also said that the issue of the pending 13th Amendment on devolution of powers as promised by Sri Lanka government earlier also needs immediate redressal.
“This is of paramount importance for lasting peace in Sri Lanka,” the two conveyed to Peiris.
They also stressed on “safeguarding of the interests of Indian fishermen including release of their trawlers, evolving maritime mechanism between India and Sri Lanka, promotion of Buddha and Ram Ayodhya religious circuit for increased tourism along with strengthening of cultural and historical bonds between the citizens of two nations, the statement said.
Reconciliation bid
Sri Lanka has not asked the UN for help for the Special Bureau of Reconciliation it is setting up to deal with the legacy of the civil war that ravaged the island nation, a UN spokesman said.
The spokesman said in answer to a reporter’s question that while the UN’s Department of Political Affairs provides technical expertise requested by member states, it “has not received any request from Sri Lanka to provide assistance to their reconciliation bureau”.
Sri Lanka has opposed a probe into “alleged serious violations and abuses of human rights and related crimes by both parties in Sri Lanka” that was mandated by the UN Human Rights Council in March.
Instead, Sri Lanka said it was creating a Special Bureau for Reconciliation.