Australia Will Push Lanka On LLRC 

Monday, May 26, 2014

The Australian Government has said it will push Sri Lanka to implement the recommendations of the Lessons Learnt and Reconciliation Commission (LLRC) and to engage with domestic and international stakeholders to advance an effective and transparent reconciliation agenda.

Brett Mason, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Foreign Affairs in Australia, in a letter to the Australian Tamil Congress, said that Australia will also continue to urge Sri Lanka to ensure that all allegations of serious international crimes committed by both sides to the conflict are investigated and prosecuted in a transparent and independent manner.

Mason was responding to queries raised by the Australian Tamil Congress on Australia’s policy on engagement with Sri Lanka.

The Australian Senator said that the recent listing by Sri Lanka of some Tamil Diaspora organisations does not constrain the freedom those groups have in Australia to operate in accordance with Australian law.

He noted that Australia strongly supports the right to freedom of expression and do not consider the targeting of Tamil Diaspora organizations and individuals conducive to reconciliation in Sri Lanka. (ER)