The Malaysian government is set to back the Sri Lankan draft resolution at the United Nations in a move which will surely anger the Indian community here.
The Sri Lankan draft resolution calls for UN member nations not to interfere in the internal affairs of Sri Lanka.
Foreign Minister Anifah Aman today said in a statement that the decision to support the Sri Lankan resolution was in line with the government's stand of non-interference in the internal affairs of other countries.
Anifah also said that members of the Organisation of the Islamic Conference (OIC) and Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) had also expressed support for the Sri Lankan draft resolution based on the same principle.
Indian community leaders and MIC president S Samy Vellu had previously urged the Malaysian government not to back the Sri Lankan resolution.
They have accused the Sri Lankan government of committing war crimes by killing innocent civilians in its ongoing war with the Tamil Tigers.
Anifah however said today that Sri Lanka had its "sovereign rights to undertake appropriate means in dealing with the internal situation, without the interference of other countries or the UN".
"We are hopeful that the Sri Lankan government would further undertake concerted efforts to bring about a conducive environment for all segments of the people of Sri Lanka to come and work together towards finding a fair and comprehensive political solution which is acceptable to all parties...," said the foreign minister.
Get them to open up
In an immediate reaction, MIC Youth wing advisor S Vell Paari lashed out at Anifah over the government's stand in backing the Sri Lankan resolution.
"It is sad that the government has decided to ignore the wishes and sentiments of the Tamils in this country.
"I wish to remind the minister that these people would be voting in the next general election, not someone from OIC or NAM," he told Malaysiakini.
Vell Paari said that rather than supporting the draft resolution, the government should instead push Sri Lanka to open up its war zones so that the international community can have access to the interned civilians.
"At present no one is allowed in to see the conditions of these victims of war. Thousands of them have been misplaced by the war.
"What we want is for them to allow access for the outside world to give humanitarian assistance to these people.
"What is the Sri Lankan government afraid of? If they have not committed anything wrong, they should not stop access for aid organisations to reach to these victims," he added.
Vell Paari, who is also in charge of the party's unity committee, said that only an independent assessment by international bodies such as UN can determine if the Sri Lankan government had committed war crimes.
"However the Sri Lankan government is working in total secrecy. And they want to use the UN resolution to stop governments from pressuring them to act in a humane manner.
"What is more disappointing is that our own government is ready to support the Sri Lankan resolution," he said.
MIC to bring it up in cabinet
He also pointed out that the government had in the past interfered in the internal affairs of other countries and gave the Malaysian government's active involvement in the ongoing Mindanao crisis in the Philippines and in Bosnian crisis in the early 1990s.
"Why is it that in those cases we were ready to barge in and support the victims but now we use the excuse of non-interference?"
He urged the government to rethink of its decision, adding that MIC would also be raising the matter during the cabinet meeting this Wednesday.
He also urged Opposition Leader Anwar Ibrahim to use his good contacts in the OIC to press for the movement to withdraw the support for the Sri Lankan resolution.
"We should do something to protect and rehabilitate the broken and ruined lives of the war victims and for that we have to remove the barriers put up by the Sri Lankan government," he said.
The Sri Lankan draft resolution calls for UN member nations not to interfere in the internal affairs of Sri Lanka.
Foreign Minister Anifah Aman today said in a statement that the decision to support the Sri Lankan resolution was in line with the government's stand of non-interference in the internal affairs of other countries.Anifah also said that members of the Organisation of the Islamic Conference (OIC) and Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) had also expressed support for the Sri Lankan draft resolution based on the same principle.
Indian community leaders and MIC president S Samy Vellu had previously urged the Malaysian government not to back the Sri Lankan resolution.
They have accused the Sri Lankan government of committing war crimes by killing innocent civilians in its ongoing war with the Tamil Tigers.
Anifah however said today that Sri Lanka had its "sovereign rights to undertake appropriate means in dealing with the internal situation, without the interference of other countries or the UN".
"We are hopeful that the Sri Lankan government would further undertake concerted efforts to bring about a conducive environment for all segments of the people of Sri Lanka to come and work together towards finding a fair and comprehensive political solution which is acceptable to all parties...," said the foreign minister.
Get them to open up
In an immediate reaction, MIC Youth wing advisor S Vell Paari lashed out at Anifah over the government's stand in backing the Sri Lankan resolution."It is sad that the government has decided to ignore the wishes and sentiments of the Tamils in this country.
"I wish to remind the minister that these people would be voting in the next general election, not someone from OIC or NAM," he told Malaysiakini.
Vell Paari said that rather than supporting the draft resolution, the government should instead push Sri Lanka to open up its war zones so that the international community can have access to the interned civilians.
"At present no one is allowed in to see the conditions of these victims of war. Thousands of them have been misplaced by the war.
"What we want is for them to allow access for the outside world to give humanitarian assistance to these people."What is the Sri Lankan government afraid of? If they have not committed anything wrong, they should not stop access for aid organisations to reach to these victims," he added.
Vell Paari, who is also in charge of the party's unity committee, said that only an independent assessment by international bodies such as UN can determine if the Sri Lankan government had committed war crimes.
"However the Sri Lankan government is working in total secrecy. And they want to use the UN resolution to stop governments from pressuring them to act in a humane manner.
"What is more disappointing is that our own government is ready to support the Sri Lankan resolution," he said.
MIC to bring it up in cabinet
He also pointed out that the government had in the past interfered in the internal affairs of other countries and gave the Malaysian government's active involvement in the ongoing Mindanao crisis in the Philippines and in Bosnian crisis in the early 1990s.
"Why is it that in those cases we were ready to barge in and support the victims but now we use the excuse of non-interference?"
He urged the government to rethink of its decision, adding that MIC would also be raising the matter during the cabinet meeting this Wednesday.He also urged Opposition Leader Anwar Ibrahim to use his good contacts in the OIC to press for the movement to withdraw the support for the Sri Lankan resolution.
"We should do something to protect and rehabilitate the broken and ruined lives of the war victims and for that we have to remove the barriers put up by the Sri Lankan government," he said.
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