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British Tamil Conservatives call for legal action, travel bans, and trade sanctions against Sri Lanka

Responding to the passage of the UN Human Rights Council resolution on Sri Lanka, the British Tamil Conservatives welcomed the passage of the resolution but called for further legal action on Sri Lanka officials implicated in war crimes as well as trade sanctions against Sri Lanka.

Their statement is supported by a number of MPs from across the political spectrum who have raised concerns over Sri Lanka’s human rights record and have called for Magnitsky sanctions on senior Sri Lankan officials implicated in war crimes such as Shavendra Silva and Kamal Gunaratne. A number of human rights organisations, such as Human Rights Watch, have also called for targeted sanctions on Sri Lankan officials.

In their statement, they highlighted the resolution’s recognition of the failure of domestic mechanism in Sri Lanka to deliver accountability and justice as well as the deteriorating human rights conditions. The resolution mandates the setting up of an evidence collection mechanism under the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights and keeps Sri Lanka firmly on the UNHRC agenda.

Their statement concludes by maintaining:

“It is now time for the member states, including the United Kingdom to take on board the recommendations of her excellency Michelle Bachelet, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights and take legal action based on Universal Jurisdiction, apply travel bans against Sri Lankan officials and trade sanctions against Sri Lanka”.

Read the full statement here.

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