The British government is working with international partners to pass a resolution at the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) calling for an independent international investigation into atrocities committed at the end of the armed conflict, officials at the UK's Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) told British MPs and Tamil activists during a meeting with a cross party group, the All Parliamentary Party Group for Tamils (APPGT), on Monday.

In a statement released yesterday outlining the discussion that took place, the APPGT said,

“Since Sri Lanka has not made any progress on a credible and transparent investigation, it was confirmed that the British Government is working with international partners to set up an Independent International Investigation in the island of Sri Lanka. The government feels that there is a good chance of passing the resolution with the support of international partners.”

 “It was also agreed that the substance of the resolution should have a strong mandate to implement the recommendations without any further delays with witness protection for all victims in order to serve justice and accountability for a long term sustainable peace on the island”

Outlining the key messages advocated by representatives of the Tamil community at the meeting, which was chaired by the Conservative MP for Ilford North, and Chair of the APPGT, Lee Scott, and included the Labour MP for Mitcham and Mordem Siobhan McDonagh, one source at the meeting told the Tamil Guardian, 

“we highlighted the likelihood of the Rajapaksa regime repudiating any resolution made against them and stressed the necessity to follow-up on the regime’s reaction to the resolution with travel bans and asset freezes.”

Speaking to the Tamil Guardian about the points raised at the meeting, British Tamils Forum's Human Rights Team Coordinator in Geneva, Nad Mylvaganam, said,

“Any independent international investigation must have a witness protection mechanism and it should look into war crimes, crimes against humanity and the crime of genocide perpetrated in the island of Sri Lanka."

Highlighting the long history of the ethnic conflict, Mr. Mylvaganam added, "the investigation should not only be limited to the final stages of the war, but also have a mandate to look into the past and the present crimes against the Tamil people."

Welcoming the FCO's reiteration of its support for an international investigation, the spokesperson to the Global Tamil Forum, Suren Surendiran, told the Tamil Guardian,

“We are encouraged by the FCO’s reassurance on calling for an independent international investigation in Sri Lanka through a resolution at the UNHRC in March 2014."

Noting the deepening crisis faced by the Tamils in the North-East, Tamil activists stressed the need for international action not only to looking at past injustice, but to provide immediate relief and halt the on-going abuses against the Tamil population.

"The resolution must also call for an immediate release of names and circumstances of the 18,000 ex-combatants that were taken into custody at the end of the 2009 conflict," urged Mr. Mylvaganam, pointing out that almost five years after the end of the armed conflict, the international community is yet to receive an official list of the persons detained and released by the Sri Lankan government.

Mr. Surendiran said,

"As we have said to the FCO, we insist on the need for an international mechanism to arrest the current human rights conditions in Sri Lanka particularly for Tamils in the North and the East, especially for women, for religious minorities, particularly for Tamil speaking Muslims and Sinhala progressive minds who dissent the Rajapaksa regime.”