Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent assessment he has made of the implications for his policies of the political and security situation in Sri Lanka.

We believe that a stable and inclusive political settlement is an essential foundation for the economic recovery and growth that Sri Lanka needs and we closely monitor political, economic and security developments in this regard.

The Minister for South Asia, Lord (Tariq) Ahmad of Wimbledon, and the British High Commissioner, have called for a peaceful, democratic and inclusive approach to resolving the current political and economic issues. They also emphasised that violence against peaceful protestors is unacceptable.

We call on the Sri Lankan authorities to safeguard citizens' rights and ensure security responses are proportionate and in line with international human rights standards.