Q. 183 Meeting of CHOGM in Colombo

Will the Minister of EXTERNAL AFFAIRS be pleased to satate :-

(a) whether the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) is proposed to meet at the end of this year (2013) in Colombo, and if so, the details thereof; and

(b) whether there is a demand for not attending the CHOGM if it is held in Colombo due to the alleged war crimes and violation of human rights by Sri Lankan Army in the 2009 civil war against Sri Lankan Tamils, and if so, the details thereof and Government’s reaction thereto?

ANSWER THE MINISTER OF EXTERNAL AFFAIRS (SHRI SALMAN KHURSHID)

(a) & (b) A statement is laid on the Table of the House.

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STATEMENT REFERRED TO IN REPLY TO PARTS (a) AND (b) OF RAJYA SABHA STARRED QUESTION NO. 183 REGARDING "MEETING OF CHOGM IN COLOMBO"

(a) Sri Lanka’s offer to host the 2013 CHOGM was accepted by all the Commonwealth Heads of Government at their meeting held in Trinidad and Tobago in 2009. They reaffirmed this decision in the subsequent CHOGM in Perth, Australia in 2011. As agreed, the CHOGM this year will be held in Colombo from November 15-17, 2013.

(b) In March, the Government received a letter each from the Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu and the Chief Minister of Puducherry, urging the Prime Minister not to attend the CHOGM in Colombo. The Government has not yet taken a decision on the level of its participation at the 2013 CHOGM.

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Supplementary Question
RAJYA SABHA SUPPLEMENTRY QUESTION 229 SESSION
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MR. CHAIRMAN: Question No. 183. Shri D. Raja. Let the answer be
given.

SHRI D. RAJA: Sir, my first supplementary is the following. Sri Lanka’s offer to host the 2013 CHOGM was accepted by the Commonwealth Heads of Government at their meeting held in Trinidad and Tobago in 2009. Sir, 2009 was the year when the war against Tamil people in Sri Lanka reached the final phase. On one single day, more than 45,000 Tamil people were killed and massacred in Sri Lanka. Sri Lanka should be exposed for its genocide, for its horrendous war crimes...

MR. CHAIRMAN: Ask your question, please.

SHRI D. RAJA: ...for its human rights violations. In such a situation, that decision was reaffirmed in the year 2011 in the meeting held in Perth, Australia. My question is this. India knows fully well what happened in Sri Lanka; India knew fully well what happened in Sri Lanka in 2009. Has the Government of India, at any point of time, raised this issue with the international community, particularly the Commonwealth Heads of Government? If we agree for Sri Lanka’s offer to hold the Commonwealth Heads of Government meeting in Sri Lanka, it would amount to endorsing the genocide; it would amount to endorsing horrendous war crimes...

MR. CHAIRMAN: Question please.

SHRI D. RAJA: It would amount to endorsing human right violations. Did our Government raise this issue with the international community, particularly in the Commonwealth Heads of Government meeting?

SHRIMATI PRENEET KAUR: Mr. Chairman, Sir, the decision to hold the Commonwealth Heads of Government meeting in Sri Lanka, as the hon. Member has rightly said, was taken in 2009 and then was reiterated in Perth in 2011. Now the decision to change the venue lies with the Heads of Government of the Commonwealth countries and they alone can do that. So far no particular suggestion has come to change the venue of this meeting. ...(Interruptions)...

MR. CHAIRMAN: Please sit down, Shrimati Stanley. It is not your turn. Please sit down.

SHRI D. RAJA: Sir, I seek your protection.

MR. CHAIRMAN: Ask your question, please.

SHRI D. RAJA: I seek your protection, Sir. You are the Chairman of this House, Sir. The Prime Minister is sitting here. The Minister of External Affairs is also sitting here. I am raising a pointed question. Did the Government of India raise this issue at any point of time between 2009 and 2011? The answer must be, “Yes, we raised it”, or, “No, we did not raise it”. That should be the answer.

SHRIMATI PRENEET KAUR: Mr. Chairman, Sir, on this question of human rights’ angle in Sri Lanka, the Government of India has been engaged with Sri Lanka and other members of the international community to work towards a reconciliation process and a political settlement and ensure that all communities live with dignity, equal rights and equal protection under the law in the framework of united Sri Lanka.

SHRIMATI PRENEET KAUR (CONTD.): This was taken up and shown when we voted in the United Nations Human Rights Council in Geneva on two occasions, namely, in 2012 and 2013, and we, specifically, pointed out the fact that we were not fully satisfied with the steps taken on the implementation of the Thirteenth Amendment and on the promises, that were made after 2009, to the Human Rights Commission in Geneva.

SHRI D. RAJA: Sir, even though this answer is very unsatisfactory, yet, I am compelled to raise another supplementary. The answer says that the Government received a letter, each from the Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu and the Chief Minister of Puducherry, urging upon the Prime Minister not to attend the CHOGM in Colombo. The Government has not yet taken a decision on the level of its participation. My supplementary is this. When is the Government going to take its stand? If the Government takes a stand, then, I would like to know from the hon. Minister whether they will take this Parliament into confidence before taking a decision and whether they will consult the Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu and the Chief Minister of Puducherry, who have written to the Prime Minister, who is present in this House. Sir, how can we strengthen our federalism when they ignore letters written by Chief Ministers and throw those letters in the dustbin? Then, what kind of federalism do we have in India?

SHRIMATI PRENEET KAUR: Sir, we remain fully committed to the Commonwealth of Nations of which we are a key member and a contributor. We would not like to do anything that may undermine the Organisation or its highest level meeting, a biennial meeting, which is the CHOGM. A well-thought-out decision would be taken in due course keeping in mind the national interest, our foreign policy priorities and our international obligations.

DR. V. MAITREYAN: Sir, two days ago, the External Affairs Minister of Lanka met our Prime Minister, and our Prime Minister made a fervent appeal to consider the issue of release of fishermen of Tamil Nadu on a humanitarian basis. Now there has been a public humiliation of our Prime Minister by Lanka. Yesterday, the Lankan Court extended the judicial remand of those prisoners. Even after this public humiliation of our Prime Minister by Lanka, is the Government still considering participation in the CHOGM? I think they should take a decision that they will not have any participation at any level. India, as a whole, should boycott it. I would request the hon. Minister to
clarify this.

SHRI SALMAN KHURSHID: Sir, I would urge upon the hon. Member to await the discussion on the alling Attention Motion, which he has given notice of. I think many of these things could be discussed in that.

SHRI RAVI SHANKAR PRASAD: Sir, a very small supplementary. Apart from the fact that Sri Lanka is an old country and we have historical and cultural ties with them, the plight of Tamils is very well known. I would like to know from the Government whether it is going to ensure that the Thirteenth Amendment, which was made effective when Shri Rajiv Gandhi was the Prime Minister, is followed strictly so as to give them political rights in the coming election. I would request the hon. Minister himself to respond to this.

SHRI SALMAN KHURSHID: Sir, we remain committed to the Thirteenth Amendment, and, in fact, with the support of the House, we have been looking at 13 plus, that is, going beyond the Thirteenth Amendment. But the factual situation is that the Thirteenth Amendment has not been fully implemented. This is the process of our constant urging of the Government of Sri Lanka. The Thirteenth Amendment is the basis of a sustainable, peaceful, dignified existence for all people of Sri Lanka within the sovereign unity of the country but keeping in mind the special concerns of the Tamil citizens of Sri Lanka. Now, we have, in recent times, heard a lot of discussions coming from Sri Lanka about possibility of a dilution. But we continue to remain engaged with the Sri Lankan Government. We have also talked to a series of citizens and senior politicians from that country. The hon. Member himself had visited Sri Lanka and he found that India’s intervention in relief and rehabilitation was extensive, which has also been appreciated broadly across the spectrum. We remain committed to the Thirteenth Amendment and we hope that Sri Lanka will also continue to remain committed because this is the basis for sustainable peace in that country. I think it is important that Sri Lanka returns to peace and prosperity for the greater good of our entire region.

MR. CHAIRMAN: Mrs. Vasanthi Stanley. ..(Interruptions)..

SHRI D. RAJA: Sir, the Sri Lankan Government...

MR. CHAIRMAN: Please, Mr. Raja, we have just half a minute left. ..(Interruptions)..

Mr. Raja, you are depriving another Member of her chance. ..(Interruptions)..

MR. CHAIRMAN: Question Hour is over.

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