India, including twenty five other countries, voted against Sri Lanka on Thursday at the U.N. Human Rights Council session in Geneva. The Indian government didn’t move any amendments, contrary to the announcements made on Wednesday.
The resolution urges Sri Lanka’s government “to initiate credible and independent actions” to ensure justice as well as accountability for alleged human rights violations and atrocities during the 30-year civil war; the war in 2009, after government troops crushed the separatist Tamil Tigers.
The resolution was favored by 25 members, while 13 stood against, and eight abstained from the vote. Neither did the U.N. ask for an international inquiry, nor did India seek that. However, the Indian government suggested some amendments to the resolution.
According to a report in New Delhi Television (NDTV), U.S. government rejected India’s plans for amendments to the U.N. resolution, arguing that any changes made at this critical time would challenge the broad consensus reached among different countries to vote against Sri Lanka.
India had seen lots of protests, particularly in the states of Tamil Nadu and Puducherry over the issue. On Tuesday, the county’s ruling party lost an important ally from Tamil Nadu state for not taking a tougher stand against the killing of ethnic Tamils in Sri Lanka.
