Support to UNHRC resolution will not affect ties with Lanka: Vayalar Ravi

KOLKATA: Overseas Indian Affairs Minister Vayalar Ravi today said India supported the UNHRC resolution against Sri Lanka keeping in mind Tamil sentiments, but assured that it would not affect relations with Colombo.

"Issues of human rights violation were moved by certain western countries before the UNHRC. Due to the Tamil issue, the Government of India could not ignore the resolution and voted for it," Ravi told reporters on the sidelines of the diamond jubilee celebrations of Kolkata Malayalee Samajam.

"We have taken the sentiments and compulsions of the Tamil polulation in mind. We cannot ignore the sentiments of our citizens and as such we had to take this decision (to vote for the resolution)," he said.

Describing Sri Lanka as a "neighbouring and friendly" country, he said India's support to the UNHRC resolution would not affect relation with that country.

In a major embarrassment to Sri Lanka, the UNHRC adopted a resolution on Tuesday censuring it for alleged war crimes in the conflict with LTTE, with India joining the West in backing the US-sponsored move.

Of the 47 UN Human Rights Council member-countries, 24, including India, voted for the resolution and 15 against it, while eight nations abstained.

India, which normally does not vote on nation-specific resolutions, made a last-minute departure after overwhelming pressure from parties in Tamil Nadu, especially the DMK which had even considered pulling out its ministers from the government at the Centre, to vote against Sri Lanka.