Sri Lanka: Presidential Elections Debate

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Department: Cabinet Office

Sri Lanka: Presidential Elections

Lord Avebury Excerpts
Wednesday 14th January 2015

(9 years, 10 months ago)

Lords Chamber
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Lord Wallace of Saltaire Portrait Lord Wallace of Saltaire
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My Lords, I cannot say that, but I certainly hope so.

Lord Avebury Portrait Lord Avebury (LD)
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My Lords, my noble friend the Minister mentioned that President Sirisena has undertaken to conduct a domestic inquiry into the allegations of war crimes that were committed in the final stages of the conflict in 2009. Has anybody suggested to him that he should facilitate the inquiry which was launched by the United Nations Human Rights Council at a meeting last March? Will our Government encourage him to invite it to Sri Lanka and facilitate its work there?

Lord Wallace of Saltaire Portrait Lord Wallace of Saltaire
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My Lords, that has been the position of our Government for the past year. Of course, there are some sensitive issues of national sovereignty. The noble Lord may be aware that there are even some people in the United Kingdom who take objection to international organisations looking at human rights issues within this country.