UK to discuss Sri Lanka with other international partners

Saturday, 07 December 2013

The UK has said it would continue to discuss the situation Sri Lanka including human rights issues with a range of other EU, Commonwealth and international partners over the coming months.

In response to a question by a British Parliamentarian, the Minister of State, Foreign and Commonwealth Office Hugo Swire has told the British Parliament that, “The UK has been voted back on to the Human Rights Council and will play an active role in building international support ahead of the March Human Rights Council session. We will continue to discuss Sri Lanka with a range of other EU, Commonwealth and international partners over the coming months.”

He has also said that Prime Minister David Cameron was clear with the Sri Lankan President at the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in Colombo in November that “...we expect real progress on human rights, reconciliation, accountability, and political settlement. The Human Rights Council will assess progress in March.”

Swire has further said, “In particular, the Prime Minister pressed for credible, transparent and independent investigations into alleged war crimes and made clear that if these investigations have not begun properly by March, then we will use our position on the UN Human Rights Council to work with the UN Human Rights Commissioner and call for an international inquiry.”