UK strongly supports the international inquiry

reiterates FCO minister, meeting with Tamil

diaspora
Photograph Nov 2013 - FCO minister Hugo Swire meets with Tamil diaspora groups along side ! Prime
"inister Cameron ahead o# CHO$"
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0& O'to(er 201)
The UK's Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) Minister of State, Hugo
Swire reiterated the UK's strong suort for the Office of the High
Commissioner for Human !ights "n#estigation into Sri $an%a (O"S$) during
a meeting with reresentati#es of Tamil diasora organisations on Tuesda&
in $ondon'
(Mr Swire held a meeting with mem)ers of the Tamil communit& following a
num)er of re*uests in order to discuss de#eloments on Sri $an%a and the
human rights situation there' +uring the meeting, Mr Swire reiterated the
UK,s strong suort for the Office of the High Commissioner for Human
!ights "n#estigation on Sri $an%a (O"S$),( a so%eserson for the FCO told
the Tamil -uardian'
(.e are disaointed at the osition the Sri $an%an go#ernment has so far
chosen to adot in regards to the U/ Human !ights Council mandated
in#estigation,( the so%eserson said, adding that the UK would (continue
to strongl& suort the renewed resolution agreed at the March U/ Human
!ights Council, and continue to call uon the Sri $an%an go#ernment to
)oth co0oerate with the in#estigation and ma%e rogress on human rights
and reconciliation'(
Sea%ing to Tamil -uardian on Tuesda& e#ening, 1an 1anana&agam
from Tamils 2gainst -enocide said T2- welcomed the in#estigation as 3one
milestone in the roadma to rosecutions of eretrators of mass0
atrocities(, howe#er, urged that the in#estigation )e 3sufficientl& resourced
to comrehensi#el& address the full range of alleged crimes articularl&
gi#en how o)structi#e the go#ernment of Sri $an%a has )een4'
3-i#en the scale of the mass0atrocities it is crucial that the resent
in#estigation co#ers the )road range of allegations, including the deli)erate,
reeated targeting of the ci#ilian oulation #ia a multilicit& of methods
including the use of cluster and chemical munitions, the with0holding of
food and medicine and attac%s on the distri)ution centres for food and
medicine,4 she said'
3Cula)ilit& e5tends throughout the chain of command of the militar& as
well as the go#ernment deartments resonsi)le for withholding food and
medicine from the Tamil #ictims'4
The UK FCO said howe#er, it was confident that Sri $an%a's refusal to
cooerate would not deter the O"S$ team from carr&ing out the necessar&
in#estigation'
(6#en if co0oeration from the Sri $an%an go#ernment is not forthcoming,
we are confident that the Office of the High Commissioner for Human
!ights, together with indeendent e5erts, can carr& out the )road and
ro)ust in#estigation that is needed,( the FCO so%eserson said'
Calling for tangi)le action to )e ta%en against the Sri $an%an go#ernment in
resonse to its non0cooeration, Tamil diasora organisations told the Tamil
-uardian on Tuesda&, the& )elie#ed that targeted sanctions against %e& Sri
$an%an olitical and militar& figures were urgentl& needed to force Sri
$an%a to cooerate with the in*uir&'
(The -TF calls on the UK to ta%e urgent action to rerimand Sri $an%a for
not cooerating with the U/H!C on the international in#estigation such as
a tra#el )an on the indi#iduals within the regime and militar&, and free7ing
of their assets,( the -lo)al Tamil Forum(-TF) so%eserson, Suren
Surendiran said'
He added that the targeting the sanctions at the regime and militar& was
necessar& to a#oid hurting the general Sri $an%an u)lic'
2head of toda&'s meeting, the -TF wrote to Mr Hugo Swire, calling for a
more (full and fran% araisal( of the current situation in the /orth )& the
8ritish High Commission staff in Sri $an%a, and also wrote to the FCO
Foreign Secretar& 9hili Hammond, calling for action to )e ta%en against
the roscrition of se#eral Tamil diasora organisations )& the Sri $an%an
go#ernment' See letters here and here'
6ndorsing the call for tra#el )ans and asset free7es, Sen Kandiah of Tamils
For $a)ourcriticised the current 8ritish go#ernment's olic& on Sri $an%a, as
one of (no consistenc&('
(.hat is the conse*uence to date of not cooerating with U/H!C resolution
)& Sri $an%a: /othing,4 he said' 32 #er& wea% resonse from 8ritish
-o#ernment indeed'(
The UK go#ernment's reiteration of its suort for the in*uir& was
welcomed )& 2ru;ana Si#ananthan of 8ritish Tamil
Conser#ati#es meanwhile, who said (8TC welcomes the strong emhasis
laced on the O"S$ )& the 8ritish go#ernment('
Suorting the call for targeted sanctions, the 8ritish Tamils Forum (8TF)
urged the UK and 6U to also imlement )roader economic sanctions, in
resonse to Sri $an%a's non0cooeration with the U/H!C mandated in*uir&'
The 8TF's -eneral Secretar& <' !a#i Kumar howe#er stressed that the
rocess of accounta)ilit& must not sto with the in#estigation, and must
instead lead on to ;ustice'
(!egardless of olitical ositions such as regime change in Sri $an%a and
an& international suort to )ring good go#ernance 0 the accounta)ilit&
rocess should continue until ;ustice is deli#ered to the #ictims of these
genocidal crimes committed against Tamils,( Mr !a#i Kumar said, calling for
an international tri)unal, similar to that in !wanda and =ugosla#ia, to )e
esta)lished'
!eiterating the need for ;ustice following the O"S$'s reort, e5ected in
March >?@A, Ms 1anana&agam said, (we are #er& much hoing to see a
referral to the U/ Securit& Council('
(This should )e in arallel to an& domestic efforts under uni#ersal
;urisdiction that indi#idual mem)er states ma& underta%e,( she added'
(.e and other diasora grous are clear that rosecution of eretrators is
a non0negotia)le o);ecti#e for the Tamil eole who ha#e suffered so
much'(
Posted by Thavam