In its election manifesto unveiled Sunday, Britain’s Conservative Party emphasised its continued backing for “international initiatives” for reconciliation, stability and justice “across the world” and in “former and current conflict zones”, singling out the situations of divided states in Cyprus, Sri Lanka and the Middle East.
The manifesto text states,
“We will continue to support international initiatives to achieve reconciliation, stability and justice across the world, and in current or former conflict zones such as Cyprus, Sri Lanka and the Middle East, where we maintain our support for a two-state solution”.
Sri Lanka was only one of three international regions the manifesto explicitly refers to in its section on foreign policy.
Asked about the manifestos bracketing of Sri Lanka with Cyprus and Israel/Palestine, a spokesperson for British Tamil Conservatives, a link group officially affiliated with the Conservative Party, told the Tamil Guardian:
“The comparison shows the thinking within the [Conservative] party about Sri Lanka; first, that lasting stability is inseparable from justice and reconciliation, and, second, that if accountability and justice is not delivered and Tamil aspirations are not met, the international community will inevitably have to move towards a two-state solution, as with other deeply divided states.”
See the full text of the manifesto here.
The manifesto launch comes weeks after several Conservative party parliamentarians attended a conference in the UK Houses of Parliament, which called for recognition of Sri Lanka’s genocide of Tamils.
