The British Government is to push for justice and accountability in Sri Lanka.
UK Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt told the House of Commons that overall, the picture in Sri Lanka is remarkably better than it was a decade ago.
However, he said there will never be lasting peace unless there is justice and accountability for the things that went wrong.
Hunt was responding to a question raised in the House of Commons yesterday (Tuesday) on the Sri Lankan issue.
“This is something on which my right hon. Friend the Minister for Asia and the Pacific has done an enormous amount of work through his contacts with the Sri Lankan Government. The hon. Gentleman is absolutely right to raise that issue, not least because many members of the Sri Lankan community in this country have a great deal of concern about it. Overall, the picture in Sri Lanka is remarkably better than it was a decade ago. However, there will never be lasting peace unless there is justice and accountability for the things that went wrong,” he said.
Meanwhile, the Minister for Asia and the Pacific Mark Field said that the UK welcomes Sri Lanka’s co-sponsorship of the new Resolution at the UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC) in March.
“However, I understand that my right hon. Friend speaks for many of her constituents who come from the Tamil part of Sri Lanka. As a penholder, the UK has played a leading role in trying to bring the parties together, but while we accept that positive steps have been taken, much faster progress is needed. We shall continue to urge Sri Lanka to implement fully its commitments under UNHRC resolutions 30/1 and 34/1,” he said.
Mark Field said that the UK wants to see some genuine progress in Sri Lanka and he hopes that the international community can come together and bring that about.
Courtesy: Colombo Gazette
