Hugo Swire with members of the Jaffna Press Club

Britain's Foreign and Commonwealth Office Minister Hugo Swire, visiting Sri Lanka this week, said that the people of Jaffna still “face many challenges”, following meetings with Northern Province Chief Minister CV Wigneswaran and journalists from the Jaffna Press Club today.

Commenting on his visit Mr Swire stated he was “pleased to have visited Jaffna”, adding,

“Northern Sri Lanka suffered much throughout the country’s long conflict and the people there still face many challenges. This was part of the reason why Prime Minister David Cameron also prioritised visiting Jaffna when he was in Sri Lanka for the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in 2013.”

The minister met with journalists from the Jaffna Press Club (JPC), who told him that there was “no signs of decrease in crisis faced by journalists in North-East SriLanka.”

There was not yet a “conducive environment… for exiled journalists to return,” the JPC added.

“I met journalists to discuss press freedom and the pressures journalists have faced in the recent past,” said Mr Swire. “The hope must be that press freedom will increase under the new Sri Lankan government.”

Hugo Swire with Northern Province Chief Minister CV Wigneswaran

As part of his visit Mr Swire held a meeting with CV Wigneswaran, the Chief Minister of the Northern Province. “With the Chief Minister I discussed reconciliation and accountability, the role of the military, the prospects for a political settlement and ways in which the UK might assist,” said Mr Swire.

Whilst in Jaffna the British minister also donated books to the Jaffna Library, which was burnt down by a Sinhalese mob in 1981.

He also visited the Sabapathipillai welfare village, which British Prime Minister David Cameron saw during his trip to Jaffna in 2013.

“The welfare village remains, even nearly six years after the conclusion of the conflict,” noted the minister.

“I encourage the new government of Sri Lanka to seek a long-term solution, allowing people to return, where possible, to their original land.”

Yesterday the Jaffna based newspaper, Uthayan, reported that Tamils in the camp had been threatened by military personnel, who warned them not to speak to Mr Swire and ask for their lands back within the High Security Zone.