On the eve of the 19th session of the UN Human Rights Council, Tamil activists conducting a ‘walk for justice’ from Brussels to Geneva have written to the leaders and people of India urging the country to take a stance that befits its status as a rising global power.

Urging India to work with the European Union and other like minded states, Tamils say they are hopeful that India will help initiate an independent international investigation into war crimes and crimes against humanity committed in Sri Lanka as part of a systematic campaign of genocide. European Union Parliament recently passed a resolution calling on the UN to initiate an investigation into the allegations.

They highlighted a UN Experts Panel finding that the current leaders of Sri Lanka were involved in a ‘grave assault on the entire regime of international law’ and expressed hope that India will not be hoodwinked by the very same leaders’ ‘local mechanism’ to investigate the serious allegations.

The activists also noted India’s close geographic proximity to the island of Sri Lanka and the 70 million fellow Tamils in Tamil Nadu state as reasons why India should show a special interest in ensuring justice is delivered to the Tamil victims of Sri Lanka’s international crimes.