Sir Ed Davey, leader of the Liberal Democrats, reaffirmed his party’s support for Sri Lanka to be referred to the International Criminal Court (ICC) “so at long last there can be accountability for the genocide”.
“Today the Sri Lankan government is as bad as ever,” said Davey, in a video statement released to mark Tamil Genocide Remembrance Day.
“It continues to oppress Tamil people and Mr. Wickremesinghe is still failing to do the right thing,” he said, referring to Sri Lanka’s president.
“That's why as leader of the Liberal Democrats I commit my party to the voices demanding that the Sri Lanka government is referred to the International Criminal Court, so at long last there can be accountability for the genocide committed against Tamil people.”
“It has been 15 years,” he continued. “We’ve waited far too long.”
His remarks echo that of Labour party leader Keir Starmer who paid tribute to the tens of thousands of Tamils killed in 2009 in a statement released to mark the “15th year Mullivaikkal Genocide Remembrance Day”.
In 2022, Starmer called on the UK government to “stand with the Tamils and heed the recommendations of the UN High Commissioner to refer the perpetrators of the atrocities to the International Criminal Court".
