A group of Sri Lankans, most of them allegedly former defence personnel, heckled MDMK general secretary Vaiko soon after he completed his address during a debate at the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva, he alleged.

After concluding his address for the second time, a group of Sinhalese encircled him. A woman in the group yelled at Vaiko, saying that he was not a Sri Lankan Tamil to raise the Sri Lankan issue, said a statement from the party on Monday.

When Vaiko said he had the right to speak up for Sri Lankan Tamils with whom Tamil Nadu’s relations were intertwined, the men allegedly shouted at him, saying that rebel LTTE cadre were ruthless murderers and cut-throats, alleged the MDMK.

The release said the Sri Lankan Tamils present at the venue felt that it was a deliberate attempt to stop Vaiko from attending the UNHRC session.

Earlier, Vaiko had expressed concern over the alleged torture of Tamils at the hands of the Sinhalese. He noted that about 1.46 lakh Tamils were killed till May 2009, and 90,000 women were rendered war widows.

The only way to protect the Tamils and ensure justice to them was to refer the issue to the UN General Assembly and recommending to constitute the International Criminal Court, Vaiko emphasised.

Stalin condemns assault bid

Strongly condemning the alleged bid to assault Vaiko, DMK working president MK Stalin said it was agonising to note that a few Sinhalese resorted to such an act that went against the human rights of one who was from Tamil Nadu, within the premises of the UNHRC.

He urged the Centre to express its strong condemnation of the incident. (New Indian Express)