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"Manmohan should intervene"

Legal Correspondent

India should take efforts to stop ethnic killings immediately

New Delhi: Expressing serious concern over continuing hostilities in Sri Lanka, the All-India Bar Association (AIBA) on Tuesday sought the intervention of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to stop the ethnic killings in the island.

In a memorandum sent to the Prime Minister, AIBA Chairman Adish C. Aggarwala and Vice Chairman S. Prabakaran said the Sri Lankan Government had repeatedly violated international norms and United Nations guidelines by "resorting to largescale killings."

It said that after the peace talks sponsored by the Norwegian delegation between the Sri Lanka Government and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam had not made any headway, the Government had unleashed violence in its objective to annihilate the Tamil Tigers. The Sri Lankan Army did not spare even women and children and as a result the entire Tamil population in the island was panic-stricken and helpless.

The United Nations Secretary-General had called for immediate cessation of hostilities, but the Sri Lankan Government had not been heeding the appeal.

The AIBA said: "We call upon the international community to voice their strong protest to ensure that the ethnic conflict comes to an end. It must be noted that the present situation resembles what was witnessed during 1983 when such mass killings took place.

"Thousands of refugees have started coming to India leaving their homes and property in the island. In this precarious situation, it is the responsibility of the Indian Government to take efforts to stop the ethnic killings immediately."

The AIBA requested the Prime Minister to take into consideration the sentiments of Tamils across the world and use his good offices to persuade the Sri Lanka Government to stop innocents being killed.

"We request you to consult other political parties in sending a parliamentary delegation to Sri Lanka to hold talks with the administration in the island to find out ways and means to save innocent Tamils," the memorandum said.

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"Manmohan should intervene"

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