MR And Manmohan Discuss US Resolution

Indian Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh, during the meeting with Sri Lanka’s Presient Mahinda Rajapaksa on the sidelines of the Bimstec summit in Myanmar, brought up the issue of a United Nations Human Rights Council resolution against Sri Lanka which is just weeks away from being voted on.

 

India’s NDTV reported that the Indian Prime Minister was trying to balance the sentiment of Tamil voters and the imperative of a strong foreign policy.

"There was no substantive discussion on the draft resolution. Given that it has important implications for both Sri Lanka and India, it was felt that the two sides should remain in touch on the issue," External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Syed Akbaruddin told Indian reporters after the talks.

During the discussion, the Indian Prime Minsiter had reminded Mr Rajapaksa of the need to ensure that Indian fishermen in Sri Lankan water need to be treated in a humane fashion. Hours before the bilateral discussion between the two leaders, Sri Lanka Navy arrested 32 Indian fishermen who poached into Sri Lankan waters.