Drawing attention to Sri Lanka’s refusal to be represented at the the Global Summit to End Sexual Violence in Conflict, taking place in London this week, the British Foreign Office Minister of State, Hugo Swire called on Sri Lanka to explain their absence.
“Clearly we would like Sri Lanka to be here, but they are not,” Mr Swire said, speaking to Tamil Guardian just before the ministerial dialogue session this morning. “I think countries that are not here need to explain to their communities why they are not,” he said, adding, “150 plus countries have signed up to this and its more a case of why aren’t you here than why are you here.”
“Obviously we would like all countries to sign up to this,” he stressed. Mr Swire’s comments reiterated comments made on Tuesday by fellow FCO minister Mark Simmonds, that the UK was “disappointed” at Sri Lanka’s rejection of the summit.
Highlighting sexual violence in Sri Lanka as a matter of particular concern to the UK government, another senior UK minister conceded the UK’s on-going deportations of Tamil asylum seekers needed to be addressed and the UK’s country guidance on Sri Lanka required improving.
“Sri Lanka Continues The Coverup The Murder and raping of his girl frind” – British MP Retaliates Rajapaksa
The MPs who visited Sri Lanka as part of Commonwealth Parliamentarian group to evaluate the situation in Sri Lanka , were insulted by President Rajapksa and his brother Defence Secretary Gottabaya Rajapaksa who closed the doors for British MPs with the fear that MPs might challnge him directly.
Among those charged over Mr Shaikh’s killing are Tangalle politician Sampath Vidanapathiranage who belongs to the Sri Lanka president’s ruling party. The trial began more than two years after the incident after Sri Lanka’s government came under intense pressure by the UK government to bring Mr Shaikh’s killers to justice amid fears that Vidanapathirana, a local politician, could use his influence to shelve the case………………………sSri Lanka
It is thought he was attacked while trying to protect her from a group of men who were sexually harassing her. Shaikh was shot and stabbed while his girlfriend was beaten unconscious and raped.
The case has been dogged by rumours of a cover-up after it emerged that one of the alleged attackers was a local politician with close ties to the Sri Lankan president, Mahinda Rajapaksa…………….. read all