Karunanidhi urges PM to consider Lankan Tamils' welfare

"Though there is on one side a question of interfering in the internal affairs of a country, which would affect its sovereignty, territorial integrity and independence, Sri Lanka should be treated as a special case," Karunanidhi wrote to the prime minister.

The chief minister in his letter said the draft resolution the Sri Lankan government has presented to the United Nations Human Rights Council was largely against the interests of Sri Lankan Tamils.

Given this context, Karunanidhi requested Manmohan Singh to take an appropriate decision, keeping in mind the sentiments of the Sri Lankan Tamils and their welfare.

The Indian government has maintained that it cannot interfere in the internal affairs of a sovereign country and the conflict in Sri Lanka was an internal affair of the island nation.

The chief minister's letter, a copy of which was released here Tuesday, comes after National Security Advisor M.K. Narayanan briefed him May 23 on his Sri Lankan visit.

Sri Lanka's military action against Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam, which was fighting for a separate Tamil state, concluded successfully with the killing of LTTE chief V. Prabhakaran this month.

The conflict, however, has left tens of thousands of Tamils homeless and they are living in relief camps.