UK Minister of State for the Foreign and Commonwealth Office said that the UK are "concerned about the Government of Sri Lanka's decision to withdraw support for the UN resolution," in response to a question on Sri Lanka.
Nigel Adams answered a written question, posed by Steven Baker, MP for Wycombe, who asked "what steps he is taking to promote peace and reconciliation in Sri Lanka," to which the Minister replied:
"The UK has long supported efforts to promote peace and reconciliation in Sri Lanka, including in our role as penholder on Sri Lanka at the UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC). We firmly believe that UNHRC resolution 30/1, and its successor resolutions 34/1 and 40/1, remain the best framework for establishing truth and achieving lasting reconciliation following the conflict in Sri Lanka. We continue to encourage and support Sri Lankan to deliver on the commitments its made to the UNHRC through these resolutions."
The British response comes despite the Sri Lankan government repeatedly rejecting UN resolutions, and with Sri Lankan president Gotabaya Rajapaksa even threatening to withdraw Colombo from golbal bodies if international prosecutions are pursued.
"Minister of State for South Asia and Commonwealth, Lord Tariq Ahmad of Wimbledon, has raised these concerns on several occassions with the Sri Lankan High Commissioner and Sri Lanakn Foreign Minister Dinesh Gunawardena," Adams said.
"We also have an active programme of engagement with a wide range of civil society groups and vulnerable communities, and support efforts to deliver peace and reconciliation through our programme work, including as part of the Conflict, Stability and Security Fund, This includes support for resettlement and sustainable livelihoods of those displaced by the conflict, peacebuilding and landmine clearance, and a number of capacity building programmes to strengthen democracy, rule of law and reconciliation," Adams added.
The statement comes as Britain’s engagement with the Sri Lankan government, headed by accused war criminal president Gotabaya Rajapaksa, continues to come under criticism. Earlier this year, Britain’s Royal Military Academy Sandhurst conducted a training session for the Sri Lankan military, despite the long standing reports of human rights abuses and massacres committed by Sri Lankan soldiers.
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