The British Minister of State at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office said there remains “much to be done” in Sri Lanka after a resolution was passed at the UN Human Rights Council, mandating an accountability mechanism for violations of international humanitarian law committed during the armed conflict.
“I’m hopeful that the next stage of this process will be accompanied by further progress on some of the other commitments President Sirisena has made – from demilitarisation, to anti-corruption work, to the release of political prisoners, to reducing tensions between communities and disengaging the military from commercial activities,” said Hugo Swire, in a blog post earlier this week.
“There is much to be done, and we in the UK are keen to offer support wherever we can. We’ll be discussing this with the Sri Lankan government in the coming weeks.”
Stating that the OISL report, which documented the crimes committed, “makes for sobering reading”, Mr Swire said they “cast a long shadow in communities right across Sri Lanka today”.
“Until very recently, Sri Lanka has been unwilling to address the legacy of this war,” he added. “We know from our own experience that opening up old wounds can be painful; but experience also shows that allowing them to fester is even worse. And it is my firm belief – from the many discussions I’ve had with Sri Lankans since becoming a Minister in 2012 – that for the country to fulfil its enormous potential, it needs the catharsis that can only come from a proper process of accountability and reconciliation.”
See his full post here.
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