Authorities in Sri Lanka have taken serious note of videos being circulated on social and web-based media of an alleged incident involving\u00a0 Brigadier Priyanka Fernando, the Minister Counsellor (Defence) attached to the Sri Lanka High Commission in London behaving in an offensive manner.<\/p>\n
In this connection, instructions have been sent to Sri Lanka\u2019s High Commissioner in London today, 6 February 2018, to suspend the Minister Counsellor (Defence) from work, with immediate effect, the Foreign Ministry said.<\/p>\n
The Foreign Ministry said that the authorities in Sri Lanka including the Sri Lanka Army will initiate inquiries on the incident immediately.<\/p>\n
British Parliamentarians Joan Ryan and Siobhain McDonagh had called on the British Foreign Secretary to \u201cwithdraw Brigadier Priyanka Fernando\u2019s diplomatic papers and expel him\u201d from the UK, after he was filmed making \u2018throat-cutting gestures\u2019 to Tamils protesting outside the Sri Lankan High Commission in London, on Sunday 4 February.<\/p>\n
Ms Ryan and Ms McDonagh, the Vice Chair and Senior Vice Chair of the Tamil All Party Parliamentary Group (APPG), also said in their letter to Boris Johnson MP that the conduct of Brigadier Fernando \u2013 Sri Lanka\u2019s Defence Attach\u00e9 to the UK \u2013 was \u201cinappropriate, unacceptable and threatening [\u2026] from someone who is serving in an official capacity as a guest of this country.\u201d<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, Sen Kandiah, Chair of Tamils for Labour in the UK said that Brigadier Priyanka Fernando\u2019s behaviour was despicable.<\/p>\n
\u201cHis actions were clearly an attempt to intimidate and silence peaceful protests opposed to the on-going persecution of the Tamil people in Sri Lanka. Given the Sri Lankan military\u2019s long history of committing human rights violations and alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity on Tamils, the Defence Attach\u00e9\u2019s threats must be taken seriously by the UK Government,\u201d Kandiah said.<\/p>\n
Kandiah said he supported calls from Joan Ryan MP and Siobhain McDonagh MP saying that the Foreign Secretary must expel Brigadier Fernando from the UK without delay.<\/p>\n
Courtesy: Colombo Gazette<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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