Britain to continue its push for international probe against SL

In the backdrop of Sri Lanka opting not to cooperate with the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) resolution, the British government warned that it will use its position in the Geneva-based key human rights body to actively press for an international investigation.

British Minister of State, Foreign and Commonwealth Office Hugo Swire said that ”the international community now has a duty to act, and we will be using our position on the UN Human Rights Council to actively press for an international investigation given the lack of a credible domestic accountability process to date.”

He said that the international community has spoken through the United Nations Human Rights Council, and it is imperative that the government in Colombo listens to what has been said and what is asked of them.

“We can conduct an investigation through the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights”, he said.

“We were completely vindicated in our decision to go to the Commonwealth Heads of Government meeting, because had we not gone there, we would not be in the position that we are today.” Swire noted. 

British Foreign Secretary William Hague expressed hope that the Sri Lankan government will attend the summit on preventing sexual violence in London in June 2014.”I have invited the 143 nations that so far have endorsed the declaration that I launched on ending sexual violence to attend the summit, but I cannot force any of them to do so. However, given the events in Sri Lanka in recent decades, it would be highly appropriate for the Sri Lankan government to be there and to present their plans. I have encouraged them to do so,” Hague said.

In another development, the 2013 Human Rights and Democracy Report, released by the Foreign & Commonwealth Office has criticized Sri Lanka’s human rights record. 

The report observed that there was “no improvement in the situation for freedom of expression during the last three months. Sri Lanka dropped three places to 165 out of a total 180 in the 2014 World Press Freedom Index”.

By Sujeeva Nivunhella
Source: The Island (Sri Lanka)