PM tells Rajapaksa to protect rights of Tamils

New Delhi, Oct 18 (PTI) - Amid mounting pressure from ally
D.M.K. and other Tamil Nadu parties, Prime Minister Manmohan
Singh Saturday asked Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa to
ensure that Tamils do not get "enmeshed" in the conflict with
L.T.T.E. and that their rights and safety are upheld.

During a telephonic conversation initiated by
Rajapaksa, Singh said there could be no military solution to
the conflict in the island country and asked the President to
start a political process for a peacefully negotiated
settlement within the framework of a united Sri Lanka, the
Prime Minister's Office said.

The Prime Minister also asked Rajapaksa to instruct
the Sri Lankan Navy to desist from firing on Indian fishermen,
saying their killing is "unacceptable", the P.M.O. said in a
statement.

Rajapaksa assured Singh that "all necessary measures"
are being taken to ensure safety and well-being of the Tamil
community in Sri Lanka, it said.

"During the telephonic conversation, the Prime Minister
expressed his deep concern on the deteriorating humanitarian
situation in the north of Sri Lanka, especially on the plight
of civilians caught in the hostilities," the statement said.

Singh emphasised that the "safety and the security of
these civilians must be safeguarded at all costs."
Singh told Rajapakse that the "rights and welfare of
the Tamil community of Sri Lanka should not get enmeshed in
the ongoing hostilities against the L.T.T.E.", the P.M.O.
said.

During the conversation, the Prime Minister said
continued and uninterrupted relief supplies should be ensured
for the internally displaced persons in order to address the
humanitarian situation, the P.M.O. said.

On the killing of Indian fishermen, Singh and Rajapaksa
agreed to work on practical arrangements to prevent such
incidents.

The conversation came amid a spree of resignations by
D.M.K. members in the Union Cabinet and M.P.s to their party
chief to protest against the military offensive in
L.T.T.E.-held areas in Sri Lanka.

The Prime Minister had on Wednesday said the situation
in the island nation is a cause for "serious concern" and
asked Colombo to find a negotiated settlement rather than
looking for a "military victory".

He said India was concerned over escalating
hostilities, losses suffered by civilians and increasing
number of displaced persons in Sri Lanka.

Foreign Secretary Shivshankar Menon Friday summoned
Lankan High Commissioner C.R. Jayasinghe and told him that
Colombo should address New Delhi's concerns over the
humanitarian situation in the island nation and stop
harassing and killing Indian fishermen.

Menon said Sri Lankan government should ensure that
the rights of its civilians are respected and they are
protected from attacks.

External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee also issued
a statement on Thursday expressing worry over the situation
and said India will do all "in its power" to ensure a
political settlement to the ethnic problem in the island
nation. PTI AKK