Marumalarchi Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (MDMK) leader Vaiko has called for an independent international investigation into war crimes allegations against Sri Lanka and also demanded that the Tamils in Sri Lanka should be allowed a referendum to decide their fate.

“There should be an independent international investigation about the crime of genocide committed by Sri Lankan government of Mahinda Rajapakshe. And the settlements of the army and police who’re deployed in the traditionally Tamil areas should be thrown out,” he said.

“They should be sent out. There should be a referendum that should be conducted under the supervision of United Nations, and in that referendum, modality should be worked out so that the Tamils living all over the world should be allowed to exercise their franchise in their respective countries where they are living,” he added

Vaiko also accused Congress party-led United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government of being a co accused in the war crimes committed by the Sri Lankan government.

“I do accuse the UPA government of Dr. Manmohan Singh and directed by Sonia Gandhi as a co-accused in the crime of genocide because they provided all logistic support, military support and they supplied other military weapons enabling the Sri Lankan government to commit the crime of genocide,” he said.

The Tamil Nadu assembly had earlier adopted a resolution, moved by Chief Minister J. Jayalalithaa, urging the Centre to take firm steps against Colombo till the ‘suppression’ of Tamils was stopped and those responsible for “genocide and war crimes” faced a credible international probe.

The resolution came close on the heels of Jayalalithaa writing to Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, saying India should boycott the Commonwealth Heads of Government meeting to be held in Colombo in November this year. (ANI)