The Police in Northern Ireland (PSNI) held a meeting between British officials and a Sri Lankan military adviser a month over 70,000 Tamil civilians were killed in the Sri Lankan government’s final onslaught in May 2006, reports The Guardian.
A freedom of information request resulted in UK government lawyers confirming that no official minutes were taken during the meeting, in Belfast between the two parties.
A researcher from the pressure group Corporate Watch, who submitted the Freedom of Information (FOI) request raised questions over Britain’s demeanour with the Sri Lankan government after May 2009.
Speaking to The Guardian Phil Miller said,
“We are being kept in the dark about what went on at this Belfast meeting. Did Britain raise any concerns about Sri Lanka’s massacre of Tamils before it let the PSNI continue its role as ‘critical friends’ with Colombo?”
Yasmine Ahmed, from Rights Watch UK, said
"The British public has a right to know the nature and extent of UK government cooperation with and support to the Sri Lankan government during a period of brutal violence and severe human rights abuses against the Tamil population."
"Any information about this meeting must be disclosed so that the public can be assured of the nature of the involvement of UK police forces. It is inconceivable that no records were kept of the contents of this meeting and we call on the government to disclose such information."
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