UK will continue to 'exert pressure and bring Sri Lanka to bear'
15 January 2015
The British government will continue to push Sri Lanka on addressing human rights abuses said Lord Wallace, a spokesperson for the Foreign Office this week, calling on newly elected president Maithripala Sirisena to facilitate the ongoing United Nations investigation into mass atrocities.
During a House of Lords debate on Wednesday, Lord Bach had questioned whether the UK would “encourage [Sri Lanka] to review, seriously and as a matter of urgency, the allegations that have been made about human rights abuses”, as well as “to sign up to the End Sexual Violence in Conflict initiative - "something that the previous Sri Lankan Administration singularly failed to do.”
In response, Lord Wallace of Saltaire, Government Whip acting as government spokesperson on the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, said Britain was in “regular dialogue with Sri Lanka”. He further added,
Noting Sirisena's pledge to initiate a domestic inquiry into reports of war crimes, Lord Avebury asked whether the UK will encourage Sri Lanka to facilitate the already ongoing UN investigation into mass atrocities.
Lord Wallace stated that an international investigation “has been the position of our Government for the past year,” but noted Sri Lanka had “sensitive issues of national sovereignty”.
“I am well aware of the previous Government’s resistance to the UN inquiry,” said Lord Wallace. “I hope that the new Government, as they get under way, will take a more generous approach to the UN investigations.”
Read the full text of the debate here.
Also see our previous posts:
UK, Canada urge President Sirisena to cooperate with UN inquiry as he takes office (09 Jan 2015)
UK ‘not at all happy’ with Sri Lanka’s dismissal of UN investigation (25 Nov 2014)
15 January 2015The British government will continue to push Sri Lanka on addressing human rights abuses said Lord Wallace, a spokesperson for the Foreign Office this week, calling on newly elected president Maithripala Sirisena to facilitate the ongoing United Nations investigation into mass atrocities.
During a House of Lords debate on Wednesday, Lord Bach had questioned whether the UK would “encourage [Sri Lanka] to review, seriously and as a matter of urgency, the allegations that have been made about human rights abuses”, as well as “to sign up to the End Sexual Violence in Conflict initiative - "something that the previous Sri Lankan Administration singularly failed to do.”
In response, Lord Wallace of Saltaire, Government Whip acting as government spokesperson on the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, said Britain was in “regular dialogue with Sri Lanka”. He further added,
“Members of this House may not be aware how closely the British Government and their representatives work with our colleagues in the European Union on issues such as this—in Sri Lanka as in Georgia—to exert pressure and bring it to bear. There is of course the UN human rights investigation, which will continue. The UN Human Rights Council will discuss that at its forthcoming meeting in March.”
Noting Sirisena's pledge to initiate a domestic inquiry into reports of war crimes, Lord Avebury asked whether the UK will encourage Sri Lanka to facilitate the already ongoing UN investigation into mass atrocities.
Lord Wallace stated that an international investigation “has been the position of our Government for the past year,” but noted Sri Lanka had “sensitive issues of national sovereignty”.
“I am well aware of the previous Government’s resistance to the UN inquiry,” said Lord Wallace. “I hope that the new Government, as they get under way, will take a more generous approach to the UN investigations.”
Read the full text of the debate here.
Also see our previous posts:
UK, Canada urge President Sirisena to cooperate with UN inquiry as he takes office (09 Jan 2015)
UK ‘not at all happy’ with Sri Lanka’s dismissal of UN investigation (25 Nov 2014)
