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Written Question
Sri Lanka: Drinking Water
Monday 8th January 2024

Asked by: Fleur Anderson (Labour - Putney)

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, whether his Department has taken recent steps to help ensure that Tamils in northern Sri Lanka have access to clean drinking water.

Answered by Anne-Marie Trevelyan - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

We are aware of the challenges Sri Lanka faces around water management and quality, particularly by communities in the Northern Province. The British High Commission Colombo regularly meets a range of stakeholders in the Northern Province to hear their experiences and issues. A number of public bodies in Sri Lanka, including the National Water Supply and Drainage Board, have conducted tests into the water quality, after concerns were raised by local communities. The UK Government supports the International Water Management Institute, an international water management research organisation, to provide solutions to increasing water scarcity in Puttalam and Kilinochchi.


Written Question
Sri Lanka: Tamils
Wednesday 25th October 2023

Asked by: Andrew Rosindell (Conservative - Romford)

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 purported persecution of the Tamil population in northern Sri Lanka.

Answered by Anne-Marie Trevelyan - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

Sri Lanka is a UK human rights priority country. The UK has led, with the Core Group on Sri Lanka, international efforts to promote human rights for all communities, including through UNHRC resolution 51/1. We recommended addressing issues around the expropriation of land in the North and East during Sri Lanka's Universal Periodic Review. The UK encourages establishment of a meaningful Truth and Reconciliation Commission. Whilst visiting Sri Lanka from 10-13 October I raised issues over progress on human rights and accountability mechanisms with the government of Sri Lanka (GoSL). We welcome the GoSL commitment to address longstanding grievances of minority communities through the implementation of the 13th Amendment to the Constitution.


Written Question
Sri Lanka: Tamils
Tuesday 4th April 2023

Asked by: Lord Mann (Non-affiliated - Life peer)

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government what representations they have made to the UN Human Rights Council about the situation of Tamil communities in Sri Lanka.

Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

The UK, alongside our partners in the Core Group, have led international efforts to promote human rights for all communities in Sri Lanka, including through resolution 51/1 at the UN Human Rights Council. The resolution renewed the mandate of the Office for the High Commissioner for Human Rights to report on Sri Lanka and to protect and preserve evidence of past human rights abuses to use in future accountability processes. We have made our stance clear in statements to the Council, most recently on 7 March. The UK also made recommendations including on the need to address issues around the expropriation of land in the North and East during Sri Lanka's Universal Periodic Review in February.


Written Question
Sri Lanka: Tamils
Monday 27th June 2022

Asked by: Stephen Morgan (Labour - Portsmouth South)

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether her Department is taking steps to ensure that those responsible for human rights violations against the Tamil community in Sri Lanka are brought to justice in the International Criminal Court.

Answered by Vicky Ford

Sri Lanka is a human rights priority country for the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office. Our assessment is that an International Criminal Court (ICC) referral would not have the required support from members of the UN Security Council. It would not advance the cause of accountability for an ICC referral to fail to win Security Council support or to be vetoed.

We, alongside our partners in the Core Group on Sri Lanka, have led international efforts over many years to promote accountability, reconciliation and human rights in Sri Lanka. On 23 March 2021 the UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC) adopted resolution 46/1, which provides a continued framework for international engagement on human rights. It calls on the government of Sri Lanka to make progress on human rights and stresses the importance of a comprehensive accountability process for all violations and abuses committed in Sri Lanka. The Minister of State for South Asia, Lord (Tariq) Ahmad of Wimbledon, visited Sri Lanka in January 2022. He travelled to the North and East as well as Colombo and met a range of civil society groups, including Tamil representatives, to discuss human rights. The Minister also urged the Government of Sri Lanka to take steps to deliver justice and accountability.


Written Question
Sri Lanka: Tamils
Friday 24th June 2022

Asked by: Stephen Morgan (Labour - Portsmouth South)

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment she has made of recent attacks against the Tamil community in Sri Lanka; and whether she has considered imposing sanctions on that country in response to those attacks.

Answered by Vicky Ford

The UK Government regularly engages with the Sri Lankan Government on a range of issues, including human rights concerns such as the targeting and marginalisation of minority groups. We closely monitor the human rights situation, including developments in the North and East, through regular engagement with regional civil society and political representatives. The Minister for South Asia, Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon, has strongly condemned violence against peaceful protesters in Sri Lanka. He has reiterated fundamental rights, including the right to peaceful protest, must be protected.

Sanctions are one response among a number of diplomatic tools we can deploy around the world as part of a broader political strategy in order to change or send a political signal regarding particular behaviours. The Global Human Rights sanctions regime was introduced in July 2020, and gives the UK a powerful tool to hold to account those involved in serious human rights violations. We keep all evidence and potential listings under close review. It would not be appropriate to speculate about future designations under the sanctions regime as to do so could reduce their impact. We will continue to consider a range of approaches to tackle serious human rights violations and abuses around the world.


Written Question
British Indian Ocean Territory: Tamils
Thursday 10th March 2022

Asked by: Lloyd Russell-Moyle (Labour (Co-op) - Brighton, Kemptown)

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if she will make and what assessment of the welfare of Tamil refugees in Diego Garcia.

Answered by Amanda Milling - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury

We are supporting the 89 people escorted to The British Indian Ocean Territory (BIOT) for their safety when their vessel was damaged last year. Their welfare is our top priority. We are working with the group and international partners on options and next steps.


Written Question
Sri Lanka: Tamils
Friday 4th March 2022

Asked by: Steve Baker (Conservative - Wycombe)

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if her Department will consult Tamil representatives including in Sri Lanka on potential next steps on UN Resolution 46/1 on Promoting reconciliation, accountability and human rights in Sri Lanka.

Answered by Vicky Ford

The UK led efforts at the UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC) in March 2021 to adopt Resolution 46/1. We continue to support engagement between the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights and the Government of Sri Lanka on reconciliation, accountability and human rights.

The Minister for South and Central Asia, Lord (Tariq) Ahmad of Wimbledon, discussed the importance of these issues with representatives of the Sri Lankan government and wider stakeholders, including representatives of Tamil communities, during his visit to Sri Lanka in January 2022 when he travelled to Jaffna and Trincomalee as well as Colombo.


Written Question
Sri Lanka: Tamils
Wednesday 2nd February 2022

Asked by: Tonia Antoniazzi (Labour - Gower)

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, with reference to the report by the International Truth and Justice Project, entitled Sri Lanka: Torture and Sexual Violence by Security Forces 2020-21, published in September 2021, what steps her Department is taking to support the Tamil population of Sri Lanka; and what steps her Department is taking in response to the recommendations for UN member states in that report.

Answered by Amanda Milling - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury

The UK Government takes very seriously the allegations of torture and sexual violence in the report 'Sri Lanka: Torture and Sexual Violence by Security Forces 2020-2021'.

The Minister for South Asia, Lord (Tariq) Ahmad of Wimbledon, has raised the importance of these issues on several occasions with the Sri Lankan High Commissioner and the Sri Lankan Foreign Minister G.L. Peiris. During his visit to Sri Lanka of 18-20 January, he raised serious concerns around the deteriorating human rights situation when he met the President, Foreign Minister, and other members of the Sri Lankan Government. The Foreign Secretary raised the importance of upholding human rights when she met Foreign Minister Peiris on 26 October 2021.

We will continue to support the monitoring of the human rights situation and accountability in Sri Lanka by the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) as mandated by the UN Human Rights Council resolution 46/1 on promoting reconciliation, accountability and human rights in Sri Lanka.


Written Question
Sri Lanka: Tamils
Monday 18th October 2021

Asked by: Stella Creasy (Labour (Co-op) - Walthamstow)

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps her Department is taking to support the Tamil population of Sri Lanka.

Answered by Amanda Milling - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury

The UK Government has long called for the rights of Sri Lankans from all communities to be respected. The Minister for South Asia, Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon, has raised the importance of inclusive engagement with all communities in Sri Lanka in his discussions with Sri Lankan Foreign Minister G.L. Peiris, most recently on 24 September. We continue to urge the Government of Sri Lanka to uphold the rights of all of Sri Lanka's communities.

In March 2021 the UN Human Rights Council adopted a new UK-led resolution, 46/1, on promoting reconciliation, accountability and human rights in Sri Lanka. The resolution provides a continued framework for international engagement on human rights in Sri Lanka. It calls on the Government of Sri Lanka to make progress on accountability and human rights, and stresses the importance of a comprehensive accountability process for all violations and abuses committed in Sri Lanka. It also calls on the Government of Sri Lanka to fulfil its commitments on the devolution of political authority, which is integral to reconciliation and the full enjoyment of human rights by all members of its population. It encourages the Government to respect local governance, including through the holding of elections for provincial councils, and to ensure that all provincial councils, including the Northern and Eastern Provincial Councils, are able to operate effectively, in accordance with the thirteenth amendment to the Constitution of Sri Lanka. Through UK-funded programmes, we have supported a number of activities to benefit those in the north and east of the country, including demining, resettlement of internally displaced persons and interfaith dialogue.


Written Question
Sri Lanka: Tamils
Monday 18th October 2021

Asked by: Stella Creasy (Labour (Co-op) - Walthamstow)

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent discussions she has had with his Sri Lankan counterpart on engagement between the Government of that country and Tamil leaders.

Answered by Amanda Milling - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury

The UK Government has long called for the rights of Sri Lankans from all communities to be respected. The Minister for South Asia, Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon, has raised the importance of inclusive engagement with all communities in Sri Lanka in his discussions with Sri Lankan Foreign Minister G.L. Peiris, most recently on 24 September. We continue to urge the Government of Sri Lanka to uphold the rights of all of Sri Lanka's communities.

In March 2021 the UN Human Rights Council adopted a new UK-led resolution, 46/1, on promoting reconciliation, accountability and human rights in Sri Lanka. The resolution provides a continued framework for international engagement on human rights in Sri Lanka. It calls on the Government of Sri Lanka to make progress on accountability and human rights, and stresses the importance of a comprehensive accountability process for all violations and abuses committed in Sri Lanka. It also calls on the Government of Sri Lanka to fulfil its commitments on the devolution of political authority, which is integral to reconciliation and the full enjoyment of human rights by all members of its population. It encourages the Government to respect local governance, including through the holding of elections for provincial councils, and to ensure that all provincial councils, including the Northern and Eastern Provincial Councils, are able to operate effectively, in accordance with the thirteenth amendment to the Constitution of Sri Lanka. Through UK-funded programmes, we have supported a number of activities to benefit those in the north and east of the country, including demining, resettlement of internally displaced persons and interfaith dialogue.