The leader of the Labour Party, Ed Miliband, stressed his support for an international inquiry and pledged to push the coalition government on this, come the UN Human Rights Council session in March, in a meeting with the British Tamil community yesterday. 

"We would support a motion for UN international inquiry, but believe March is too late to start the process and British Government should push for this now," said Mr. Miliband's press officer to the Tamil Guardian.

Highlighting the on-going plight of Tamils in the North-East, and the need for a strong resolution to be passed at the UNHRC, the British Tamils pointed out that the Sri Lankan government has not showed any willingness to undertake an independent investigation, and had indeed proved itself incapable of doing so, given past internal commissions and inquiries.

"The Tamil people want justice and accountability, and the Labour Party has backed an international investigation since 2011," said Sen Kandiah of Tamils for Labour, speaking to the Tamil Guardian about the meeting afterwards.

"Now is the time that the party ensures the British Prime Minister, David Cameron, is held to the promises he made to the Tamil people during his visit to Jaffna at the time of the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meet in November last year," Mr. Kandiah said, adding, "the Sri Lankan government should not be allowed to subvert, deliberately prolong or undermine the accountability process from now till March."

In a statement, the British Tamils Forum said,

'Ahead of the United Nation Human Rights Council (UNHRC) session that is to take place in March, the Labour leader has been calling for an international independent investigation into war crimes and crimes against humanity since 2011. Today, the Tamil Community asked Ed Miliband to reassert pressure on the British Government to deliver what Prime Minister David Cameron promised during his visit to Sri Lanka last year – an independent and international investigation. The delegation also briefed Mr Miliband on the current situation for Tamils in Sri Lanka.

Mr Miliband promised he would do everything he could to get the UK government to use its position in the UNHRC to establish an international independent investigation.'

Writing in the Tamil Guardian in the run up to the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meet, Mr. Miliband said,

'An estimated 40,000 civilians died in that brutal conflict and yet there has still been no investigation into allegations of war crimes because the Sri Lankan government has so far refused to carry one out.

Instead of making progress, the situation in Sri Lanka seems to be getting worse.'