[All major Tamil Satellite TVs, such as SUN TV, SUN News, Jaya TV, Raj TV, Makkal TV, Tamizhan TV, Win TV, D.D attended. All Tamil and English newspapers presented. PTI, UNI News agencies were there. Exclusively Mr. Bhavan Singh, BBC Tamil Osai Mr. Gopal came in person.  BBC Sinhala interviewed over phone].

In MEDIA

India should tell Sri Lanka more firmly to stop human rights violations against innocent Tamils on the island, three Sri Lankan MPs said on Wednesday.

The parliamentarians — Selvam Adaikalanathan, Sivaji Lingam and N. Sri Kantha — told a press conference in Chennai, organised by Manitham, a rights organisation, that better diplomacy should prevail and India should express its concern strongly over the rights violations by the Sri Lankan armed forces against Tamils. The people of Tamil Nadu and political parties should sink their differences and strengthen the hands of the Government of India in taking up the matter with Sri Lanka.

Mr. Kantha said they had met various leaders in Tamil Nadu and they had said that the matter required urgent attention by the Government of India.

They stressed that India should directly take up the matter immediately. The killings and kidnappings of Tamils had increased. The Sri Lankan Government paid no heed to the voice raised by the Human Rights Council.

A survey report by the United Nations on Sri Lanka had stressed the need for an international monitoring mechanism on the island, he said. [THE END]
- Courtesy :  THE HINDU, 19-04-2007