The Indian prime minister, Manmohan Singh, will not attend the controversial Commonwealth summit in Sri Lanka next week, officials in Delhi have said.
Singh would write to the Sri Lankan president, Mahinda Rajapaksa, to explain his decision, Indian media reported on Sunday.
Though rooted in domestic political considerations, Singh's absence will be a blow to the credibility of the organisation. India is the Commonwealth's biggest member.
It will also embarrass David Cameron, who has said his presence in Sri Lanka is the "right decision" for the Commonwealth and will allow a "tough message" about its human rights record to be delivered personally.
The Sri Lankan government has been accused of instigating a wave of repression to muzzle critics and of failing to investigate war crimes committed by its armed forces during the bloody closing phases of a brutal 26-year civil war against violent Tamil separatists in the north of the country. Full story...
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Singh would write to the Sri Lankan president, Mahinda Rajapaksa, to explain his decision, Indian media reported on Sunday.
Though rooted in domestic political considerations, Singh's absence will be a blow to the credibility of the organisation. India is the Commonwealth's biggest member.
It will also embarrass David Cameron, who has said his presence in Sri Lanka is the "right decision" for the Commonwealth and will allow a "tough message" about its human rights record to be delivered personally.
The Sri Lankan government has been accused of instigating a wave of repression to muzzle critics and of failing to investigate war crimes committed by its armed forces during the bloody closing phases of a brutal 26-year civil war against violent Tamil separatists in the north of the country. Full story...
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