Britain’s Minister of State for the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office said Sri Lanka remains a “human rights priority” for her government, as she responded to a question regarding “reconciliation” on the island.
“We recognise the significant doubts expressed by affected communities regarding the credibility of reconciliation mechanism,” said Anne-Marie Trevelyan, responding to a written question.
“The UK has stressed the importance of an inclusive participatory process to build trust,” Trevelyan said in response to a question posed by Mattew Offord, the Conservative MP for Hendon.
She added that “any mechanism must be independent, meaningful, and transparent, meet the expectations of affected communities, build upon previous transitional justice processes, and provide pathways for accountability.”
Last month Trevelyan also said the UK government was concerned by “increasing tensions around land" in the North-East when asked about the UK’s response to the arrest of eight Tamils at Vedukkunaari Hill temple in Vavuniya March this year.
“The UK regularly engages with the Government of Sri Lanka on areas of concern, including progress on reconciliation.”
Her remarks came as Tamils around the world marked 15 years since the genocide at Mullivaikkal this month. British parliamentarians from across the main parties, including the leader of the opposition Keri Starmer, released statements to commemorate the occasions.
Tens of thousands of Tamils were killed by the Sri Lankan security forces at the time. To date, no one ahs been held accountable for the massacres.
