We strongly support position of High Commissioner says UK

26 February 2014 British Secretary of State for the Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, Hugo Swire, has stated that the UK strongly supports the position of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Na i !illay, adding that the international community has a duty to act on Sri "an#a$ Swire went on to add that, if a credi%le domestic process has not %egun properly %y &arch '()* we will use our seat on the UN Human Rights Council to call for an international in estigation$+ Responding to ,uestions in !arliament, hours %efore the High Commissioner-s report was released .see here/, Swire reiterated the &arch '()* deadline, also stating, 0e share the High Commissioners concerns and do not %elie e that processes set up %y the Sri "an#an 1o ernment, such as the "essons "earnt and Reconciliation Commission or the Commission of in,uiry on 2isappearances announced last year, ade,uately address accounta%ility$+ See his comments in full here$ Also see our earlier posts %elow$ 3Any in estigation must %e internationally accepted3 4 UK .'( 2ecem%er '()5/ UK 6concerned at military in ol ement in ci ilian acti ities- .)7 Fe%ruary '()*/ UK repeats &arch '()* deadline .(8 Fe%ruary '()*/ Sri "an#a3s ""RC does not meet international standards 4 FC9 .': ;anuary '()*/ UK minister reiterates March deadline for Sri Lanka (19 January 2014 <U !arliament sets &arch '()* deadline .)5 2ecem%er '()5/ !"ritish #amils $is%uss international in&uiry on 'ar %rimes an$ geno%i$e 'ith (ha$o' )oreign (e%retary .(7 2ec '()5/ British Foreign Secretary reiterates &arch deadline for S" war crimes pro%e .(* 2ecem%er '()5/ "ritain sets *ar%h $ea$line for 'ar %rimes pro+e, (ri -an.a $efiant (1/ 0o1em+er 2012 SL rejects March 2014 UN deadline... again (20 (eptem+er 2012

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Ms Abbott: #o as. the (e%retary of (tate for )oreign an$ Common'ealth 3ffairs 'hat his poli%y is on the initiation of an in$epen$ent, international 'ar %rimes in&uiry in (ri -an.a4 51674998 Mr Swire: 3s the 9rime *inister sai$ in his statement to 9arliament on 16 0o1em+er 2012, 'e 'ill %ontinue to press the (ri -an.an :o1ernment for %re$i+le, 24 Feb 2014 : Column 59W transparent an$ in$epen$ent in1estigations into allege$ 'ar %rimes $uring (ri -an.an!s re%ent %onfli%t4 We ha1e ma$e %lear that if a %re$i+le $omesti% pro%ess has not +egun properly +y *ar%h 2014 'e 'ill use our seat on the U0 Human ;ights Coun%il to %all for an international in1estigation4 We are regularly $is%ussing (ri -an.a 'ith a range of international partners ahea$ of the *ar%h Human ;ights Coun%il4 #he High Commissioner for Human ;ights! report $ue ahea$ of the *ar%h Human ;ights Coun%il 'ill pro1i$e an assessment of (ri -an.a!s progress4 Ms Abbott: #o as. the (e%retary of (tate for )oreign an$ Common'ealth 3ffairs 'hat re%ent assessment he has ma$e of the a%%ounta+ility pro%ess in (ri -an.a< an$ if he 'ill ma.e a statement4 5167=008 Mr Swire: 3s the 9rime *inister ma$e %lear in his statement to 9arliament on 16 0o1em+er, 'e %ontinue$ to +e %on%erne$ a+out the la%. of %re$i+le, transparent an$ in$epen$ent in1estigations into allege$ 1iolations on +oth si$es of the (ri -an.a %onfli%t4 We strongly support the position of the U0 High Commissioner for Human ;ights, 0a1i 9illay, that if (ri -an.a has not $emonstrate$ a %re$i+le national a%%ounta+ility pro%ess +y *ar%h 2014, then the international %ommunity has a $uty to a%t4 We ha1e ma$e %lear if the (ri -an.an :o1ernment has not +egun properly 'ith %re$i+le in1estigations +y *ar%h, then 'e 'ill use our position on the U0 Human ;ights Coun%il to 'or. 'ith the U0 Human ;ights Commissioner an$ %all for an international in1estigation4 #he High Commissioner for Human ;ights! report $ue ahea$ of the *ar%h Human ;ights Coun%il 'ill gi1e an assessment of (ri -an.a!s progress4 Kate oe!: #o as. the (e%retary of (tate for )oreign an$ Common'ealth 3ffairs 'hat assessment he has ma$e of the report +y 3C) >nternational entitle$, #he #ruth a+out the 3ssassination of 17 ai$ 'or.ers in (ri -an.a, pu+lishe$ on 12 ?e%em+er 2012< an$ if he 'ill ma.e a statement4 51661968 Mr Swire: #he "ritish :o1ernment has +een %onsistently %lear that it is 1ital that there are transparent, in$epen$ent an$ %re$i+le in1estigations into allege$ a+uses an$ 1iolations of humanitarian an$ human rights la' $uring (ri -an.a!s re%ent %onfli%t4 #his in%lu$es the 200/ mur$er of 17 3%tion Contre le )aim (3C) ai$ 'or.ers4 #he U0 High Commissioner for Human ;ights o+ser1e$ there has +een @relati1ely little progress@ in this %ase 'hen reporting to the Human ;ights Coun%il in (eptem+er 20124 #his 'as reinfor%e$ +y the 2 ?e%em+er 3C) report4 #he (ri -an.an :o1ernment has re%ently state$ that in1estigations are ongoing< it is important that progress is ma$e in i$entifying an$ +ringing to Austi%e the perpetrators4 "o#n M$%onnell: #o as. the (e%retary of (tate for )oreign an$ Common'ealth 3ffairs 'hat progress has +een ma$e on the esta+lishment of an in$epen$ent in1estigation into 'ar %rimes an$ %rimes against humanity in (ri -an.a4 5166=068 Mr Swire: (in%e the en$ of the military %onfli%t in (ri -an.a, the "ritish :o1ernment has +een

%lear that there shoul$ +e a %re$i+le, transparent an$ in$epen$ent 24 Feb 2014 : Column &0W in1estigation into allegations of 1iolations an$ a+uses of international humanitarian an$ human rights la'4 )ollo'ing her 1isit to (ri -an.a last year, the U0 High Commissioner for Human ;ights sai$ that she ha$ $ete%te$ !no ne' or %omprehensi1e effort! to in1estigate these allegations4 We share the High Commissioners %on%erns an$ $o not +elie1e that pro%esses set up +y the (ri -an.an :o1ernment, su%h as the -essons -earnt an$ ;e%on%iliation Commission or the Commission of in&uiry on ?isappearan%es announ%e$ last year, a$e&uately a$$ress a%%ounta+ility4 >f %re$i+le $omesti% in1estigations ha1e not +egun properly +y *ar%h 2014, the 9rime *inister has +een %lear that 'e 'ill use our position on the Unite$ 0ations Human ;ights Coun%il to 'or. 'ith the U0 High Commissioner for Human ;ights an$ other %ountries to %all for an international in1estigation4