India’s High Commissioner for Sri Lanka, Gopal Baglay, met with the Tamil National Alliance and pledged support for the right to self-governance through the 13th Amendment.
On Twitter the High Commission tweeted:
HC stressed #India’s longstanding support for the reconciliation in #SriLanka that addresses aspirations of the #Tamil community for equality, justice, peace and dignity within the framework of a united #SriLanka and in accordance with 13 A.
— India in Sri Lanka (@IndiainSL) June 17, 2021
This visit follows the passage of the UN resolution which mandated for the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights to "collect" as well as "consolidate, analyse and preserve” evidence that could be used in future war crimes trials.
Pawan Badhe - Permanent Mission of India to United Nations
During the resolution India abstained from voting stating:
“One is our support to the Tamils of Sri Lanka for equality, justice, dignity and peace," it said. "The other is in ensuring the unity, stability and territorial integrity of Sri Lanka. We have always believed that these two goals are mutually supportive and Sri Lanka’s progress is best assured by simultaneously addressing both objectives.”
Read more here: India explains abstention at UNHRC on Sri Lankan resolution vote
India’s position comes despite Tamil political parties both in Sri Lanka and Tamil Nadu calling on India to vote for the resolution. It also follows increasing tension between India and Sri Lanka, following Sri Lanka’s unilateral withdrawal from the East Colombo Terminal agreement.
Sri Lanka has since approved the Chinese-led Colombo Port City project, which has been widely criticised, and approved China to establish three renewable energy projects in outlying islands off the Jaffna peninsula. This has been criticised by India as a security threat.
In May, Sri Lanka sought a $200-million currency swap from Bangladesh after being denied a $1 billion credit swap from India. This was the first time that Sri Lanka is borrowing from a SAARC country other than India.
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