Government yet to take stand on UN resolution on Sri Lanka: Krishna

New Delhi, Mar 14 (ANI): Union External Affairs Minister S M Krishna on Wednesday informed Parliament that India is yet take a stand on the US-initiated draft resolution on 'Promoting Reconciliation and Accountability in Sri Lanka' at the ongoing 19th Session of the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva.

A day after several parliament members and Tamil leaders raised objections against Sri Lanka's alleged human rights violations againsts Tamils during the protracted conflict in Sri Lanka, Krishna, in his response today, said: "As far as our position on the resolution is concerned, we are engaged with all parties in an effort to achieve a forward looking outcome that is based on reconciliation and accountability rather than deepening confrontation and mistrust between the concerned parties.

"I may mention that the issue of human rights allegations against Sri Lanka is yet to come up for formal discussion at the 19th Session of the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva. A view on this issue will be taken as and when the time is finalized for consideration of the draft resolution on Sri Lanka in the UN Human Rights Council," said Krishna.

Speaking on the issue of videos of human rights violations shown in the Channel 4 documentaries, Krishna said it is the responsibility of the Sri Lankan Government, in the first instance, to investigate and inquire into through a transparent process.

He further said that Sri Lankan Government has given assurance of its commitment towards pursuit of a political process, through a broader dialogue with all parties, including the Tamil National Alliance, leading to the full implementation of the 13th Amendment to the Sri Lankan Constitution, so as to achieve meaningful devolution of powers and genuine national reconciliation.

Expressing hope that the Government of Sri Lanka recognising the critical importance of this issue and acts decisively with vision in this regard, Krishna said will remain engaged with them through this process and in the spirit of partnership encourage them to take forward the dialogue with the elected representatives of the Sri Lankan Tamils.

The pressure on India to vote against Sri Lanka has escalated after a Channel 4 documentary that purportedly shows the 12-year-old son of LTTE leader V Prabhakaran lying dead with five bullets in his chest.

Five escorts who were reportedly accompanying him to officially surrender were also killed, the documentary claims, and their bodies can be seen around his. The 60-minute film states that documents show that the child was interrogated about his father's whereabouts before he was executed. (ANI)