Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapapaksa warned his countrymen of local and international attempts to scuttle peace in the island nation even as the Tamil Nadu assembly urged India to introduce a resolution in the UN Security Council seeking a referendum in Sri Lanka to carve out an independent Tamil Eelam state.
A resolution moved in TN assembly said Tamils living in Sri Lanka as well as Tamils of Sri Lankan origin in other countries should take part in the refe
Meanwhile, addressing a Sri Lanka Freedom Party ceremony, Rajapaksa said it was the right of all Sri Lankans to ensure that peace was protected in the country without falling prey to rumours.
The resolution urged India to stop describing Sri Lanka as a friendly nation and sought an international probe on war crimes during the war against the Tamil Tigers that left thousands dead.
It said those responsible for the alleged war crimes should be tried by an international court.
The Indian government was also asked to impose economic sanctions on the island nation until the "oppression" on Tamils there ended.
The TN chief minister J Jayalalithaa, while addressing the House, referred to the widespread protests by students in the state demanding action against Sri Lanka over the deaths of Tamil civilians in the war against the LTTE.
The UN Human Rights Council resolutio
Sri Lanka crushed the LTTE and wiped out its leadership in May 2009, ending one of the world's longest running conflicts. "There should be an international probe on the war crimes during the war (against the Tamil Tigers) and people responsible for that should be tried before an international court," Jayalalithaa said.
She also told Prime Minister Manmohan Singh that her government would allow IPL matches in the state only if no Sri Lankan player, umpire, official or support staff took part in the matches.
The chief minister said New Delhi had not taken any action on the resolution passed by the Tamil Nadu assembly in 2011 urging India to impose economic sanctions on Sri Lanka and approach the UN to declare those responsible for the "genocide" in the island as war criminals.
Meanwhile, addressing a Sri Lanka Freedom Party ceremony in Colombo, Rajapaksa said it was the right of all Sri Lankans to ensure that peace was protected in the country without falling prey to rumours.
Since defeating the Tamil Tigers, Rajapaksa's government has been under pressure, especially from Western countries, seeking an independent probe into war crimes allegations.
Rajapaksa recalled that during the civil war, a lot of pressure was exerted by some countries on Sri Lanka. But the government stood firm in achieving its objectives and protected the interest of its people in the process.
The president said the people in the north and south of the island were living together in unity following the defeat of the Tamil Tigers and such peace and unity must not be broken by any party or individual.
After defeating the Tamil Tigers in May 2009, Rajapa
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