Withdraw Indian radars from SL: Vaiko

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 09 January 2008, 13:52 GMT]
Vaiko, General Secretary of the Tamil Nadu based Marumalarchchi Dravida Munneatta Kazhakam (MDMK), wrote to Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh last week urging him not to attend the February 4 independence day celebrations at Colombo to be "carried on by the bloodstained hands of the Rajapaksa regime." He also appealed to Dr. Manmohan Singh to withdraw the Indian radars supplied to Sri Lanka and stop any further supply of military equipment.

In his letter, the MDMK leader also called upon the Indian prime minister to prevail upon the GoSL through diplomatic pressure not to "pursue their genocidal military attacks." He said that the GoSL's unilateral and unjustifiable abrogation of the ceasefire agreement had abruptly closed the doors for peaceful negotiations. In the same vein, he condemned the SLA brutally murdering three Tamil Parliamentarians Mr Joseph Pararajasingham, Mr Raviraja Nataraj and Mr. Maheswaran.

He said that India's support to Sri Lanka's refusal to permit the United Nations to open an office at Colombo was the "most retrogade action" that brought disrespect to the nation's honour. Vaiko was however concerned about India's inaction regarding the negation of the international treaty signed by Rajiv Gandhi and J. R. Jayawardene, known as the 1987 Indo-Sri Lankan Accord. He added that India had failed in its duty to condemn the GoSL for de-merging the NorthEast.