PMK seeks assurance against arms aid to Lanka

Chennai, May 30 (UNI) Pattali Makkal Katchi (PMK) founder-leader S Ramadoss today urged India not to supply any arms or weapons to Sri Lanka and prevail upon that country to come to a negotiating table to resolve the ethnic crisis.

Expressing concern over reports that Sri Lankan Defence Secretary Rajapakse had made a sudden visit to Delhi and held discussions with his Indian counterpart and National Security Advisor, the PMK leader said India should not supply any arms to the island nation as they would only be used against the Tamils in the country.

Quoting reports, he said Sri Lanka has asked India to supply Radars and surface to air missiles and threatened to approach Pakistan, if India refused.

As these arms would be used to wipe out the Tamils in the island, India should not only declare that it would not supply any arms, but pressurise Sri Lanka to come to the negotiating table to find a solution to the Tamils' issue.

This was the wish of 6.5 crore Tamils in India, he said and appealed to Chief Minister M Karunanidhi to take up the issue with the Centre and take an assurance that it would not supply arms to Sri Lanka.

When the UN assembly and many third world countries like the US were demanding that Sri Lanka should resume peace talks, the Lankan government was stepping up its offensive against the Tamils in a bid to find a military solution to the crisis, he said.

If Sri Lanka failed to heed the advice of India for peace talks, India should boycott Sri Lankan officials, Dr Ramadoss added.

UNI