Chennai, Mar 27 (IANS): The Tamil Nadu assembly Wednesday urged India to introduce a resolution in the UN seeking a referendum in Sri Lanka to carve out a Tamil Eelam state.

A resolution moved by the house said that Tamils living in Sri Lanka as well as Tamils of Sri Lankan origin in other countries should take part in the referendum.

The resolution also urged India to stop describing Sri Lanka as a friendly nation and sought an international probe on war crimes during the war against the Tamil Tigers.

It said those responsible for the alleged war crimes should be tried before an international court.

The resolution also urged the Indian government to impose economic sanctions on the island nation until the "oppression" on Tamils there was stopped.

Speaking in the house, the chief minister referred to the widespread protests by students demanding action against Sri Lanka for killing Tamil civilians in the war against the LTTE.

She also spoke about the UN Human Rights Council resolution that pulled up Sri Lanka over accusations that many innocent Tamils were killed in the war against the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam.

The Sri Lankan military crushed the LTTE and wiped out its leadership in May 2009, ending one of the world's longest running conflicts.

"India should stop calling Sri Lanka a friendly nation," Jayalalithaa said.

"There should be an international probe on the war crimes during the war (against the Tamil Tigers) and people responsible for that should be tried before an international court," she said.