Asked by: Chris Grayling (Conservative - Epsom and Ewell)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment he has made of the implications for his policies of the hunger strike by Mrs Ambihai Selvakumar in protest at the issues facing the Tamil community in Sri Lanka.
Answered by Nigel Adams
The UK Government is aware of the hunger strike being carried out by Mrs Ambihai Selvakumar, and recognises the concerns she has raised regarding the issues faced by the Tamil community in Sri Lanka. We have highlighted similar concerns about the lack of progress towards post-conflict accountability and the wider human rights situation, including in statements to the UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC) in February, June and September 2020. The Minister of State for South Asia, Lord (Tariq) Ahmad of Wimbledon, also set out our serious concerns about human rights in Sri Lanka in a statement at the UNHRC on 25 February. He has raised the importance of accountability, justice and reconciliation on several occasions with the Sri Lankan High Commissioner and Sri Lankan Foreign Minister Dinesh Gunawardena, most recently during calls on 12 February and 22 January respectively.
The UK, alongside Core Group partner countries, is leading a new resolution on Sri Lanka at the current UNHRC session. The draft resolution provides a framework for continued international engagement on human rights and post-conflict accountability. It calls on the government of Sri Lanka to investigate and prosecute all allegations of gross human rights violations and serious violations of international law, and highlights concerns about the human rights situation, including particular concerns about the protection of minorities.
We will continue to press for a strong role for the UNHRC to help advance accountability, reconciliation and human rights in Sri Lanka. Lord Ahmad has also responded by letter to the organiser of a petition related to Mrs Ambihai Selvakumar's hunger strike.
Asked by: Chris Grayling (Conservative - Epsom and Ewell)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if he will make further representations for an international investigation into the ongoing issues faced by the Tamil community in Sri Lanka.
Answered by Nigel Adams
In March 2014, the UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC) adopted resolution 25/1, which was led by the UK and other members of the Core Group on Sri Lanka. This resolution established the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) Investigation on Sri Lanka (OISL), which reported in 2015. Since then, the UK has continued to lead efforts at the UNHRC to advance post-conflict accountability, reconciliation and human rights in successive UNHRC resolutions.
The UK government remains concerned about the human rights situation in Sri Lanka, including the issues faced by the Tamil community. The Minister for South Asia, Lord (Tariq) Ahmad of Wimbledon, set out our concerns in a statement at the UNHRC on 25 February. The UK, again alongside Core Group partner countries, has presented a new draft resolution at the UNHRC which aims to provide a framework for continued international engagement on human rights and post-conflict accountability in Sri Lanka. The draft text requests enhanced monitoring and reporting by OHCHR on the human rights situation and requests the UN to collect, preserve and analyse evidence which could be used in future accountability processes.
Asked by: Toby Perkins (Labour - Chesterfield)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment his Department has made of the adequacy of the Sri Lankan authorities in permitting the rights of the Tamil community to engage in peaceful protest in that country.
Answered by Nigel Adams
The UK Government is aware of the recent demonstrations that took place in the northern and eastern parts of Sri Lanka, and is concerned at reports of intimidating behaviour experienced by some demonstrators. Officials from the British High Commission in Colombo will continue to monitor closely events linked to the right to peaceful protest.
Asked by: Toby Perkins (Labour - Chesterfield)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps his Department plans to take to help ensure that the international community (a) upholds the rights of Tamils living in Sri Lanka and (b) ensures that Tamils are not subject to (i) prosecution and (ii) state harassment in the event that they engage in peaceful protests in that country.
Answered by Nigel Adams
The UK is working closely with international partners on a new resolution on Sri Lanka at the UN Human Rights Council. This resolution will provide a framework for continued international engagement on human rights and post-conflict accountability in Sri Lanka. The resolution will highlight concerns about the protection of minorities, and will call on the Government of Sri Lanka to ensure that the human rights of people in all of its communities are protected.
The Minister of State for South Asia and Minister responsible for Human Rights, Lord (Tariq) Ahmad of Wimbledon, has raised the importance of protecting the rights of all communities, including minority groups, on several occasions with the Sri Lankan High Commissioner and Sri Lankan Foreign Minister Dinesh Gunawardena, most recently during calls on 9 February and 22 January respectively. We will continue to engage with the Government of Sri Lanka to underline the importance we attach to this issue.
Officials from the British High Commission in Colombo will continue to monitor closely events linked to the right to peaceful protest.
Asked by: Sarah Champion (Labour - Rotherham)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what (a) meetings and (b) discussions officials from the UK High Commission in Sri Lanka have had with Tamil community protests on (i) the resettlement of military occupied land and (ii) relatives that disappeared after being taken into military custody.
Answered by Heather Wheeler
Officials from the British High Commission in Colombo regularly meet with Tamil community representatives in Sri Lanka to discuss issues such as land returns and missing persons, including meetings with representatives and families of the disappeared as recently as October 2019. During her visit to the north of Sri Lanka in October 2019, the British High Commissioner also met organisations and individuals active on these issues.
The British Government regularly discusses human rights and reconciliation with the Government of Sri Lanka, including through encouraging the implementation of UN Human Rights Council resolutions 30/1, 34/1 and 40/1. We firmly believe that this is the best framework for establishing truth and achieving justice and lasting reconciliation to ensure that all communities in Sri Lanka can live in peace
Asked by: Jim Cunningham (Labour - Coventry South)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent discussions he has had with his Sri Lankan counterpart on the status of Tamil people in Sri Lanka.
Answered by Heather Wheeler
The UK has called on the Government of Sri Lanka to make progress on human rights issues for all communities in Sri Lanka. The UK continues to encourage and support Sri Lanka to deliver the commitments it made to the UN Human Rights Council through Resolutions (UNHRC) 30/1, 34/1 and 40/1. A national process initiated by the Government of Sri Lanka and supported by all communities offers the best route to achieve these goals. We continue to look to Sri Lanka to deliver in full the commitments it has made to the UNHRC.
We continue to raise human rights issues in our engagement with the Government of Sri Lanka. During his recent visit to Sri Lanka on 2-3 October, Minister of State for the Commonwealth, UN and South Asia Lord (Tariq) Ahmad of Wimbledon met with faith and political leaders including the leader of the Tamil National Alliance R Sampanthan. He reinforced to Foreign Minister Marapana the importance of Sri Lanka delivering fully on its commitments to the UNHRC.
The UK remains committed to supporting peacebuilding, human rights and development in Sri Lanka for all its communities. We are providing funding through the Conflict, Stability and Security fund to support police reform and training, reconciliation, peace building and demining in the north of the country.
Asked by: Jim Cunningham (Labour - Coventry South)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what steps the UK Government is taking to support the protection of human rights of Tamil communities in Sri Lanka.
Answered by Heather Wheeler
The UK has called on the Government of Sri Lanka to make progress on human rights issues for all communities in Sri Lanka. The UK continues to encourage and support Sri Lanka to deliver the commitments it made to the UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC) through Resolutions 30/1, 34/1 and 40/1. A national process initiated by the Government of Sri Lanka and supported by all communities offers the best route to achieve these goals. We continue to look to Sri Lanka to deliver in full the commitments it has made to the UNHRC.
We continue to raise human rights issues in our engagement with the Government of Sri Lanka. During his recent visit to Sri Lanka on 2-3 October, Minister of State for the Commonwealth, UN and South Asia Lord (Tariq) Ahmad of Wimbledon met with faith and political leaders including the leader of the Tamil National Alliance R Sampanthan. He reinforced to Foreign Minister Marapana the importance of Sri Lanka delivering fully on its commitments to the UNHRC.
The UK remains committed to supporting peacebuilding, human rights and development in Sri Lanka for all its communities. We are providing funding through the Conflict, Stability and Security fund to support police reform and training, reconciliation, peace building and demining in the north of the country.
Asked by: Gareth Thomas (Labour (Co-op) - Harrow West)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many Tamil asylum seekers have been deported from the UK to Sri Lanka in each of the last nine years; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Caroline Nokes
The Home Office does not hold the information requested.
To provide the information would require a manual check of individual records which would exceed the disproportionate cost threshold.
Data relating to the numbers of asylum seekers removed to Sri Lanka can be accessed in the link below:
Immigration: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/immigration-statistics-year-ending-march-2019/how-many-people-are-detained-or-returned#data-tables
The UK has a proud history of granting asylum to those who need our protection. Each claim is carefully considered on its individual merits. We expect those with no legal right to remain in the country to leave.
Guidance used by UK Visas and Immigration to make decisions on asylum and human rights applications can be found on the gov.uk website https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/country-policy-and-information-notes
Asked by: Stella Creasy (Labour (Co-op) - Walthamstow)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what steps he is taking to support an international criminal justice mechanism for the human rights crimes committed against Tamils.
Answered by Mark Field
A Sri Lankan process initiated by the Government of Sri Lanka and supported by all communities offers the best route to achieve accountability for violations and crimes committed, and reconciliation, in Sri Lanka.
The United Kingdom co-sponsored the 2014 UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC) Resolution 30/1, which established an investigation into allegations of serious violations and abuses of human rights during Sri Lanka's recent conflict. We welcomed Sri Lanka's co-sponsorship of a new UNHRC Resolution in March 2019, led by the UK, which rolled over Sri Lanka's commitments under Resolution 30/1 on post-civil war reconciliation and accountability. UNHRC Resolution 30/1 welcomed the intention of the Government of Sri Lanka to establish a judicial mechanism to investigate allegations of violations and abuses. It stressed the importance of independent and impartial institutions to ensure the credibility of the mechanism, and highlighted the importance of the participation of international judges, defence lawyers, and authorised prosecutors and investigators. The UK will continue to support and encourage the Government of Sri Lanka to fully implement the UNHRC resolution
Furthermore, the UK's Conflict Stability and Security Fund (CSSF) programme in Sri Lanka provides funding to the UN Peacebuilding Priority Plan, which supports efforts to establish credible and effective transitional justice mechanisms as part of Sri Lanka's reconciliation process.
Asked by: Richard Burden (Labour - Birmingham, Northfield)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent discussions he has had with his Sri Lankan counterpart on the human rights of the Tamil community in that country.
Answered by Mark Field
The UK continues to encourage and support Sri Lanka to deliver the commitments it made to the UN Human Rights Council through Resolutions 30/1 and 34/1. We firmly believe that this is the best framework for establishing truth and to achieve justice and lasting reconciliation.
The UK welcomed the Annual Report of the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights on 21 March 2018, which assessed progress made by the Sri Lankan government in the implementation of UN Human Rights Council Resolutions 30/1 and 34/1. This found that the Government of Sri Lanka had taken some steps to address human rights concerns and to introduce more democratic and accountable government. These steps included the return of some military-held civilian land, the establishment of an Office of Missing Persons and the ratification of the Convention on Enforced Disappearances.
However, as I made clear to Foreign Minister Marapana on my visit to Colombo in October 2018, more needs to be done. During my visit, I encouraged greater progress, in particular on national accountability and truth-seeking mechanisms, and the development of new counter-terrorism legislation in line with international human rights standards. I was pleased to see that, following my visit, the Sri Lankan Parliament had passed a bill to establish an Office of Reparations. I look forward to seeing this implemented in the near future.
I continued to press for progress with Sri Lankan Speaker Karu Jayasuriya in January, as the Minister for the Commonwealth and the UN, Lord Ahmad, did with Finance Minister Mangala Samaraweera,