The DAP condemns the visit of former president of Sri Lanka, Mahinda Rajapaksa, to take part in an international conference in Malaysia in early September.

The conference, Asian Political Parties, organised by the Malaysian government, will be held between Sept 1 to 4, 2016 at the Putra World Trade Centre (PWTC) in Kuala Lumpur.

The DAP has been taking a strong stand against human rights abuses in many countries. When thousands of Tamils were killed, thousands disappeared and women and children raped and sexually abused in Sri Lanka, it was the DAP that condemned this ethnic genocide.

The invitation issued to Rajapaksa is not only an insult to Tamils in Sri Lanka but also Tamils in Malaysia.

To date, the Sri Lankan government has continuously thwarted attempts to allow an international investigation into human rights abuses in the country. Even internal mechanisms have not been employed to identify and prosecute the war criminals.

More than two years ago, it was the DAP that urged a boycott of the Commonwealth Heads of Government (CHOGM) meeting held in Colombo. Malaysia was urged to boycott, but it was to no avail.

If the Malaysian government respects Tamils in the country and gives importance to human rights, then it behooves on the government to rescind its invitation to Rajapaksa.

P RAMASAMY is Deputy Chief Minister II of Penang and the state assemblyperson for Perai.