Uproar in Indian Parliament over the issue of alleged atrocities by Sri Lankan forces; UK for independent investigation; GOSL welcomes Japanese remark at UNHRC session; Sri Lankan Muslim leaders request Indian Government to address the issue of discrimina
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    • According to reports, both the houses of Indian parliament, Rajya Sabha and the Lok Sabha, had to be adjourned till 12 noon on March 13, 2012 following the uproar in the House over the over the issue of alleged atrocities by Sri Lankan forces. 1
    In another development, according to reports, following the broadcast of the second video on Sri Lanka conflict by Britain's Channel 4, the United Kingdom on March 15, 2012 called for "an independent, credible and thorough investigation" into the bloody conflict and urged the United Nations Human Rights Council to pass the resolution against Sri Lanka. 2
    According to reports, Minister Sakashita Osamu of the Japanese Permanent Mission in Geneva told the current session of the UNHRC that no country has a perfect record on human rights, and countries need to be given time, space, encouragement, advice, and where appropriate, concrete assistance in order to overcome existing challenges. The political, socio-economic and cultural contexts of each country duly need to be considered when addressing human rights issues. The Sri Lankan government has welcomed Japanese statement. 3

    In other developments, according to reports, seventeen Muslim legislators in Sri Lanka have asked the Indian government to address the issue of discrimination against old IDPs that include a large number of Muslims evicted from the North by the LTTE. The Muslim MPs have written a letter to Indian High Commissioner Ashok Kantha explaining that old IDPs who were displaced prior to 2008 have lost out on the assistance and relief provided to the new IDPs post 2008. The letter states, "While we have appreciated your valuable contribution to build 50,000 houses in Sri Lanka, we were shocked to see the criteria for housing, which categorically made differences between people displaced before and after 2008." 4

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