Rehab of Tamils in Lanka should get top priority: India

India today said rehabilitation of Tamils should be of the "highest and most immediate priority" for Sri Lankan government but maintained there were "questions" on the UN report alleging 'war crimes' against the government in the island nation.

"A fair and reasonable settlement of the political issues concerning the minorities in Sri Lanka is of utmost importance and the historic opportunity offered by the end of the conflict should be availed of at the earliest," an official spokesman said while replying to a query on the issue.

Referring to the report by a UNSC-appointed panel, he said "in general, there are still questions on the report. Some countries have raised this in the UN Human Rights Council."

"Sri Lanka is home to a number of ethnic groups, of which about 20 per cent are Tamil-speaking. They have friends and relatives in Tamil Nadu and other parts of India. It is but natural that we are concerned for their well-being," he said.

Quoting Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's recent remarks, he said India feels the Tamil population in Sri Lanka has legitimate grievances.

The official said India has heard the views of the Sri Lankan government on various occasions, including during the visit of the island nation's foreign minister to New Delhi in May 2011.

The panel was constituted to study the happenings during the last phase of the war against LTTE and advise the UN chief on the issue.