New Delhi: As a goodwill gesture, President Mahinda Rajapaksa has instructed his government to release all Indian fishermen in their custody. This comes a day after India’s decision to abstain from voting against Sri Lanka at the UN Human Rights Council on Thursday. The arrest of Indian fishermen by Sri Lanka is a poll issue in Tamil Nadu.
However, the US-backed resolution seeking probe into Sri Lankan war crimes at UNHRC was passed with the support of 23 nations.
In an explanation of vote given by Permanent Representative of India to the UN Offices, Dilip Sinha, said this resolution at UNHRC imposes an “intrusive approach” of international investigative mechanism which was counterproductive apart from being “inconsistent and impractical”.
This is for the first time since 2009, India has abstained from the voting on the resolution – Promoting reconciliation, accountability and human rights in Sri Lanka’. All three times – 2009, 2012 and 2013 – India voted in favour of the resolutions.