The British government has rejected calls by human rights organisations to ban Sri Lanka from attending an event commemorating World War I.
Campaigners from Amnesty Scotland had called for the ban for the ceremony in Glasgow, but Westminster has dismissed concerns, according to the Herald Scotland.
A spokesman for the Department of Culture, Media and Sport said the UK "enjoys normal diplomatic relations with Sri Lanka" and that the “final list of invites to the event in Glasgow will be decided nearer the time."
Mark Bevan, programme director of Amnesty International Scotland, said in May,
"We would urge the UK Government to consider whether it is appropriate to invite Sri Lanka to this event in light of the level of recorded human rights abuses. It's somewhat ironic that there will be a Commonwealth-related event focusing on the human cost of conflict when Sri Lanka will probably be chairing the Commonwealth,
"Despite the conflict there ending four years ago, Sri Lankans are still paying the price. Tens of thousands of people are believed killed by government forces and the Tamil Tigers, yet few if any perpetrators of alleged abuses have been brought to justice."
We need your support
Sri Lanka is one of the most dangerous places in the world to be a journalist. Tamil journalists are particularly at threat, with at least 41 media workers known to have been killed by the Sri Lankan state or its paramilitaries during and after the armed conflict.
Despite the risks, our team on the ground remain committed to providing detailed and accurate reporting of developments in the Tamil homeland, across the island and around the world, as well as providing expert analysis and insight from the Tamil point of view
We need your support in keeping our journalism going. Support our work today.
For more ways to donate visit https://donate.tamilguardian.com.
