Friday, March 23, 2012

India loses space to China

By voting in favour of US-sponsored resolution at UN Human Rights Council censuring Sri Lanka for Human Rights Violations, India has displeased its closest neighbour under the compulsion of politics at home. It has gone even against its traditional stand of not to support any country specific resolutions at UNHRC. India has gone against its neighbour under the pressure of UPA Tamil Nadu partner DMK, and ruling AIADK of the state. In the regional solidarities among Asia countries, India has been isolated because China, Bangladesh and Maldives, and Russia, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia and Indonesia have supported Sri Lanka and voted against the resolution. Sri Lanka is not only our closest neighbour but also strategically most important for us. By favouring Sri Lanka, China has scored a strong point over India so far as neighbourly relations are concerned. Under the pressure of India, resolution’s pugnacity was blunted by making it non-obtrusive. It would also help contribute to working for the reconciliation process towards devolution of power. But this has not been appreciated by Sri Lanka. It is correct that killing of 12 years old boy in the most brutal way is a stark example of human rights violations which India can not tolerate. But it could have found a way out first before opposing the resolution to assuage Lanka’s feeling and then impressed on it to stop human rights violations. By losing geostrategic space to China, India fails to take the broader implication of its action at UNHRC. Sri Lanka is hour next-door neighbour. If it favourably bends towards China out of grudge against India, it will pose a serious security. China is the most powerful nation in the region. It always tries to mend its ways with all the neighbours of India. They keep them in good humour at all costs. Pakistan and Nepal are the clear example. As long as the regional domestic allies guide the Central government even on international issue to protect their regional political interest in the country, India is bound to be isolated in even in the Asian sub-continent. Sri Lanka is a sovereign state and no country can dictate its action from outside. If there have been human rights violations, the international organizations are in place to look into it. Why should India go against Sri Lanka? India must rethink on the resolution, taking security perspective in view and not come under the pressure of domestic politics. Finally, India has voted for a US-sponsored resolution at the UN's top human rights body censuring Sri Lanka for alleged rights violations during the war against LTTE. LTTE is a terrorist organization and it must be dealt with as such. It has already dealt a heavy blow to us with the ferocity of terror. India had initially shown reluctance to vote on a nation-specific resolution but had to change its stand under severe pressure from political parties in Tamil Nadu, particularly DMK which had threatened to pull out its ministers from the UPA government at the Centre. With 24 votes for, 15 against and 8 abstentions, the 47-member UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC) adopted the resolution which noted with concern that an internal inquiry report in Sri Lanka does not adequately address "serious allegations" of violations of international law. It has also asked Colombo to present as expeditiously as possible a comprehensive action plan detailing the steps to implement the recommendations of the Lessons Learnt and Reconciliation Commission (LLRC) and to address the alleged violations of international law.

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