By: Isuru Parakrama
May 19, London (LNW): In a recent statement, Lord David Cameron emphasised Britain’s commitment to improving human rights in Sri Lanka and supporting meaningful progress that allows the island’s residents to “remember their loved ones freely.”
Reflecting on his 2013 visit to Jaffna, Lord Cameron stated: “As we mark the 15th anniversary of the end of Sri Lanka’s armed conflict, my thoughts are with all those killed and disappeared, and with their loved ones who continue to search for answers.
I heard first-hand about the devastating consequences of the war when I visited Northern Sri Lanka in 2013. There I made a commitment that the UK would support truth, justice, and accountability for all.”
Thangam Debbonaire, the Shadow Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, underscored the necessity of holding perpetrators accountable.
“The Sri Lankan government has had more than 15 years since the end of the conflict but has frustrated any meaningful investigation and failed to fulfil assurances it gave the international community to deliver justice for Tamil victims,” she remarked.
Debbonaire called on the British government to support the Tamil community and take a decisive role in ensuring the Sri Lankan government acts to promote justice and accountability.
She also highlighted the importance of considering the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights’ recommendations to refer those responsible for war crimes to the International Criminal Court.
Other politicians, including the Rt Hon Theresa Villiers, MP for Chipping Barnet and Vice Chair of the All-Party Parliamentary Group for Tamils, Steve Tuckwell, MP for Uxbridge and South Ruislip, and Louie French, MP for Old Bexley and Sidcup, shared video messages expressing solidarity and offering condolences to Tamils on Mullivaikkal Remembrance Day.
MP Theresa Villiers, reflecting on the memorial, remarked on the thousands of Tamils who were killed during the final phase of the armed conflict, underscoring the ongoing need for justice and remembrance.
*With inputs from Tamil Guardian
