UK says it led charge against Sri Lanka

- Hugo Swire

By Sujeeva Nivunhella in London-April 1, 2014

British State Minister of Foreign and Commonwealth Office Hugo Swire said that the UK had taken a forward-leaning position and provided leadership to bring a UN resolution on Sri Lanka for an international investigation. Addressing the Westminster Hall debate last Tuesday (25/03/14) at the British parliament Swire said that such a resolution would help break new ground if the council was successful in establishing an international mechanism. 

"The Prime Minister and the Foreign Secretary, my ministerial colleagues at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office and I have personally engaged with the majority of Human Rights Council countries. On 21 March, my right hon.

Friend the Prime Minister led a call for European Council conclusions that put the EU’s full support behind the resolution.

"We have been encouraged by the responses, but will continue to press hard for support right up until the vote takes place. We are taking nothing for granted. We have been working extremely closely with non-governmental organisations and other interested groups and listening to their views and aspirations," he said.

Speaking at the same debate Conservative MP for Ilford North Lee Scott said a comprehensive international investigation was needed as the  Sri Lankan Government was not dealing with the matters themselves. 

"I would like to see put forward as tough a resolution as is humanly possible. I have seen that the current draft resolution says that crimes up to 2009 would be investigated, but many crimes have been committed since then that must be looked into as well. The demilitarisation zone should be expanded to include the east of the country, where crimes have been perpetuated, as well as the north.

It is also important for there to be a free political stage—people should not be persecuted for trying to speak up and stand as opposition parties in Sri Lanka, as they are currently", Scott said.

"The Sri Lankan Government has never given any signal that they intend to carry out their duties as a Government representing all people in their country, so nothing should be taken off the table when considering what we must do to ensure that the resolution is adhered to and justice is done. Without question, before there can be even a chance of reconciliation, there must be justice.

I call for peace for all in Sri Lanka. The accusation has been levelled at me that I am speaking on behalf of only one people. I am talking on behalf of everyone—I do not want anyone in Sri Lanka to suffer, whatever their religion or background might be. It is not for me to say who is guilty or not; the whole point of a comprehensive international investigation is to find that out. Someone was responsible for the death of women and children, for the rape of women and for the persecution that has gone on, and they must be held to account", he further said.

Labour MP for Mitcham & Morden Siobhain McDonagh joining the debate said that the President Rajapaksa headed a regime that most observers believe committed war crimes and crimes against humanity. During the conflict, it dropped cluster bombs on the area it had designated a no-fire zone. Even now, nearly 150,000 Tamils remain unaccounted for.

"More than half the abductions mentioned in the report took place in the last year alone. Tamil places of worship are routinely targeted. A policy of displacement through militarisation led the UN special rapporteur in December to describe the living conditions of tens of thousands of Tamils as "very precarious". Human rights campaigners have been targeted, including Balendran Jeyakumari, who was arrested and assaulted earlier this month and whose defenders were also detained when they tried to investigate. Earlier this month, the leading Sri Lankan Catholic Bishop Rayappu Joseph was accused of treason. Sri Lanka is now the most dangerous place in the world to be a journalist, and there have been thousands of disappearances. According to Freedom from Torture, Sri Lanka is now the country from which it gets the most referrals. Human Rights Watch has also released a shocking report on the rape and sexual abuse of Tamil detainees", she said.