The CM of the Northern Provincial Council visit to the UK

Thursday, 30 July 2015

The APPG for Tamils was delighted to receive an update from the Chief Minister, Justice CV Wigneswaran of the Northern Provincial Council on an invitation from the Chair of the APPG for Tamils, James Berry MP.

 

Conservative, Labour and Lib Dem MPs attended the meeting and discussed post war justice, reconstruction and

economic development challenges for the war-affected areas in the Island of Sri Lanka.

 

The Chief Minister welcomed Prime Minister David Cameron’s visit to the war affected areas in the Northern Province in 2013 and his calls for an independent UN investigation into alleged war crimes in the civil war.

 

He highlighted what changes he would like to see around governance & administration in Sri Lanka and possible routes to restore civilian life. He also addressed the legacy of the war and avenues for rebuilding the Northern Province.

 

The Chief Minister also urged the MPs to ask the UK government not to support a domestic mechanism to investigate the alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity in Sri Lanka, as this would not deliver a meaningful truth and justice for the victims.

 

The APPG for Tamils wants to see truth and justice for all victims of human rights abuses in the civil war and is committed to working for a lasting peace in the Island of Sri Lanka.

 

Kingston and Surbiton James Berry MP, Chair of the APPGt, commented:

 

“It was an absolute honour to host the Chief Minister, who generously took time out of his personal visit to the UK, to meet with us.

 

“He presented a fascinating but saddening picture of the situation in Sri Lanka.

 

“The APPGt intends to follow up on the submission the Chief Minister presented to the Foreign Office. The APPGt also plans to meet in the early autumn to evaluate the issues around the forthcoming UN report on war crimes in Sri Lanka – the response to this report is the next big focus for us at the APPGt and for many Tamils in the UK.”