India PM to boycott summit in Sri Lanka amid war crimes row

Indian prime minister Manmohan Singh will boycott a meeting of Commonwealth leaders in Sri Lanka this week which has been marred by long-running accusations that Colombo has failed to resolve the issue of war crimes against minority Tamils.

Canadian prime minister Stephen Harper has already said he would not attend the Commonwealth heads of government meeting that Sri Lanka is hosting from November 15th to 17th. Mr Harper said last month he was disturbed by continuing reports of intimidation and incarceration of political leaders and journalists, the harassment of minorities, reported disappearances and accusations of extra-judicial killings.

British prime minister David Cameron has said he will attend, but will demand an investigation into the accusations.

The Sri Lankan government, which defeated the separatist Tamil Tiger rebels in 2009, faces increasing pressure from the international community to try those responsible for human rights abuses during a nearly three-decade-long civil war.

Mr Singh has written to Sri Lankan president Mahinda Rajapaksa to say he will be unable to attend and that foreign minister Salman Khurshid will take his place instead, an Indian foreign ministry spokesman said.

“From time to time the prime minister is required to be here and he is unable to visit,” Mr Khurshid said. “It should not be looked at as something that, if such a decision has been taken, will affect India-Sri Lanka relations.”

At home, Mr Singh’s move is also being seen as bowing to pressure from India’s own large Tamil population, with an eye to a general election that must be held by next May.

– (Reuters)