Cameron leaves Commonwealth Summit with warning for Sri Lanka
- 11 years ago
Britain’s prime minister has left the Commonwealth Summit in Sri Lanka with a warning to the country’s leaders.
While backing the country’s move to democracy and promising help, Britain has been a sharp critic of human rights abuses.
David Cameron says the past needs to be faced in order for reconciliation to happen.
“As things stand, the Sri Lankan government don’t accept the need for a full independent inquiry. They haven’t established it. They have of course set up their own reconciliation commission and that has done some good work, but I think this particular piece of work needs to be done. This is an issue now of international concern, and we should pursue it very vigorously,” he said on the issue of an alleged civilian massacre at the war’s end.
Cameron then met the national cricket team, but no amount of photo opportunities could mask the fact that notice has been given to President Rajapaksa; make progress by March’s UN Human Rights Commission report or face pressure for an international enquiry.
While backing the country’s move to democracy and promising help, Britain has been a sharp critic of human rights abuses.
David Cameron says the past needs to be faced in order for reconciliation to happen.
“As things stand, the Sri Lankan government don’t accept the need for a full independent inquiry. They haven’t established it. They have of course set up their own reconciliation commission and that has done some good work, but I think this particular piece of work needs to be done. This is an issue now of international concern, and we should pursue it very vigorously,” he said on the issue of an alleged civilian massacre at the war’s end.
Cameron then met the national cricket team, but no amount of photo opportunities could mask the fact that notice has been given to President Rajapaksa; make progress by March’s UN Human Rights Commission report or face pressure for an international enquiry.