Human rights body protests atrocities on Lankan Tamils

New Delhi, April 5 (IANS) Rights group Human Rights Defence International (HRDI) Thursday protested near the Sri Lankan High Commission here against what they termed as the Sri Lankan Army's "war crimes" and "atrocities" on the Sri Lankan Tamil community.

The group of protestors, led by M.N. Krishnamani, president of Delhi Tamil Sangam, and HRDI secretary general Rajesh Gogna, carried placards reading "Rajapaksa investigate war crimes", "Boycott Sri Lanka" and "Humanity killed in Sri Lanka".

Gogna, a supreme court lawyer, claimed that HRDI was not favouring the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE).

"We do not favour any terrorist outfits in our demands. But now that the civil war in Sri Lanka is over, we want the government to stop racial discrimination against the Sri Lankan Tamils who are considered second rate citizens by them," Gogna said.

"They shouldn't think that all Sri Lankan Tamils are LTTE supporters," he added.

The protestors also called for a strong Indian stand on the situation and shouted slogans. They then marched from Teen Murti Bhawan to the Sri Lankan high commission but were stopped by the police at nearby Chanakyapuri police station for security reasons.

While the protestors continued raising slogans at the police barricade, a delegation led by Gogna went to the Sri Lankan high commission where they gave a memorandum demanding investigation of alleged war crimes by the Sri Lankan government.

The protestors further demanded that non-governmental organisations (NGOs) be allowed to help in rehabilitation of Sri Lankan Tamils.