UNHRC sessions in Geneva:

Northern Tamils declare antipathy to US-backed resolution

Chamikara WEERASINGHE

People in the Northern Province on Monday handed over two petitions signed by them against any resolution being considered against Sri Lanka on the floor of the UN Human Rights Council, to Human Rights Adviser in Sri Lanka, Cynthia Veliko at the UNHRC office in Jaffna.

Over 5,000 Tamil speaking members of the public marched from the Jaffna Kachcheri to the UNHRC office in Nallur, Jaffna to hand over the petition. The petition is to be communicated to UN Human Rights Commissioner Navanetham Pillay in Geneva through UN Human Rights representative Veliko.

According to sources at the Government Agent's Office, Jaffna, the people in Jaffna had held a peaceful protest in the morning against any possibilities of US-backed resolution being moved against the Sri Lankan government at the UNHRC, stating that they do not want foreign countries to "invent solutions" for their problems.

They also carried slogans displaying their solidarity with the government and the confidence they have in President Mahinda Rajapaksa to find a home-grown political solution to solve their problems, the sources said. The Memorandum of Declarations, titled 'Resolution by the People of Jaffna, Feb 27, 2012' was presented to Veliko. Protesters said copies of the declaration had been communicated to High Commissioners of France, Royal Norwegian government, United States, United Kingdom and India.

Jaffna politician Angajan Ramanathan said a majority of politicians in the North including government agents, public servants, parents and students had taken part in the protest.