Former MP and MDMK general secretary Vaiko on Tuesday charged that the US Consulate in Chennai had “disrespected” Tamils by not allowing him to meet the Consul General and present a memorandum on the stand the country had taken on international investigations into alleged war crimes in Sri Lanka.

 

In a press release, Vaiko pointed out that in a recent public statement, the Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asia in the US Department of State, Nisha Biswal, had said there was no need for an international probe into the allegations of war crimes and a domestic investigation by the Sri Lankan government would be facilitated. This stand, a contradiction to the one the US took in 2014, has come as a shock to Tamils, he said.

 

Consequently, he had a sought an appointment with the Consul General to present a memorandum to press for a reconsideration of the country’s position on the issue.

 

Vaiko claimed an appointment was confirmed by the Consulate officials, but when he went there on Tuesday, an audience with the Consul General was refused. This forced him to present the memorandum to a Political/Economic officer.

 

“We were not even allowed into the building,” he alleged and added that a peaceful protest was earlier held near the Rajarathinam Stadium on the shift of stand by the US.

 

Meanwhile, the CPI (M) and VCK condemned the manner in which Vaiko was treated by the American Consulate.

(The Hindu)