Thaindian News

New Delhi, June 25 (IANS) India is set to voice its concerns over the slow pace of devolution process and seek an update on the rehabilitation of Tamils displaced by the war with the LTTE when National Security Adviser Shivshankar Menon meets Sri Lankan leaders in Colombo later this week.

Menon will be going to Colombo Friday and meet President Mahinda Rajapaksa and Defence Secretary Gotabhaya Rajapaksa, official sources said.

Menon is expected to convey India’s strong concerns about the rights of the Tamil people to lead a life of dignity and as equal citizens of that country. He is also expected to discuss issues related to security and economic cooperation between the two countries, said the sources.

Menon’s visit comes days after Prime Minister Manmohan Singh met Rajapaksa on the margins of the Rio+20 Summit in Brazil.

The visit is seen as a follow-up to the United Nations Human Rights Council vote against Sri Lanka in March that engendered considerable anti-India sentiments among sections of the political establishment in the island nation.

On March 22, India voted for a US-sponsored resolution in the UNHRC, censuring Sri Lanka for alleged war crimes in the conflict with the Tamil Tigers and asking it to implement the recommendations of the Lessons Learnt and Reconciliation Commission.

The commission has been appointed by the Sri Lankan president to study the genesis of the conflict and make recommendations to bring about national unity.