British Prime Minister David Cameron reiterated his call for Sri Lanka’s new government to address matters of international concern and hold perpetrators of abuses of international law to account for their actions.

Wishing the All Party Parliamentary Group for Tamils his best wishes at their annual dinner on Thursday evening, the British prime minister said that he has “long believed that establishing the truth is a crucial step to help families understand what happened to their loved ones, and help heal the scars of war.”

Stating that he was “incredibly proud of the instrumental role [Britain] played in delivering the March 2014 UN Human Rights Council resolution that mandated” an international investigation into mass atrocities, Mr Cameron added that there was still more to be done in Sri Lanka.

“The OISL investigation in itself is not reconciliation or accountability,” said Mr Cameron. “It is important that the report is considered by the new Sri Lankan Government as they seek to reconcile and hold perpetrators to account for their actions.”

The leader of the UK Labour Party Ed Miliband repeated his call for an independent international investigation into mass atrocities, stating it would be the first step towards satisfying Tamil grievances around the world.

In a video message to the All Party Parliamentary Group for Tamils annual dinner, Mr Milband called on Sri Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena to “fully cooperate with the ongoing investigation” being carried out by the UN Office of the High Commission for Human Rights.

“I am very clear,” said the UK opposition leader.

“Only a full and transparent independent international investigation into allegations of war crimes can be the first step towards satisfying and allaying the deep hurt and grievances of Tamils in Britain and around the world.”

Photos: Battinews

Protestors in Batticaloa demanded to know the whereabouts of people who were disappeared from 1958 to more recent times, urging the new government to provide answers, Battinews reported.

Relatives of the disappeared were joined at the Gandhi Square by TNA MPs P Ariyenenthiran and Pon Selvarasa, who were given a petition by the protestors, calling on President Maithripala Sirisena to take action.

The TNA spokesperson Suresh Premachandran charged that the new government, under President Maithripala Sirisena, has ignored Tamil concerns in the latest interim budget,  saying it was a continuation of the policy of every previous government, reported the Uthayan.

Hugo Swire with members of the Jaffna Press Club

Britain's Foreign and Commonwealth Office Minister Hugo Swire, visiting Sri Lanka this week, said that the people of Jaffna still “face many challenges”, following meetings with Northern Province Chief Minister CV Wigneswaran and journalists from the Jaffna Press Club today.

Commenting on his visit Mr Swire stated he was “pleased to have visited Jaffna”, adding,

“Northern Sri Lanka suffered much throughout the country’s long conflict and the people there still face many challenges. This was part of the reason why Prime Minister David Cameron also prioritised visiting Jaffna when he was in Sri Lanka for the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in 2013.”

Cameron inspects bullet holes in Uthayan printing press during his visit in 2013

British Prime Minister David Cameron has spoken of his experience in visiting the violence-hit Uthayan office in Jaffna in 2013, during a debate on press freedom in parliament earlier this month.

Responding to a question by Conservative MP John Whittingdale, who asked the prime minister to reaffirm the British government's commitment to protect the safety of journalists, in relation to the attacks on Charlie Hebdo, Mr Cameron said the visit to the Uthayan office brought home what journalists in other countries had to face.

"This most struck me when I visited Jaffna, in northern Sri Lanka, and went to see a newspaper office that had been shot up, bombed and burned. That brings home what journalists in other countries have for years faced in bringing the truth and putting it in front of the people, which is a vital part of a free democratic system," the prime minister said.

British MPs, highlighting the need for the new government of Sri Lanka to take concrete steps to reconcile with Tamils, called for increased pressure on Sri Lanka to cooperate with the UN inquiry into mass atrocities, whikst debating the issue of ‘Tamils in Sri Lanka’ at the House of Commons on Wednesday morning.

Noting concerns about the new Sri Lankan government’s demeanour towards the Tamil community, and later highlighting that “only a political solution that recognises the rights of the Tamil people in Sri Lanka, including that to self-determination, can address the root cause of the conflict”, the chair of the All Party Parliamentary Group for Tamils (APPGT), MP Lee Scott, said,

“I am concerned, however, that the new Government of Sri Lanka have stated that they will not change the policy towards the Tamil community in Sri Lanka or demilitarise the areas in which Tamil people live.”

Mr Scott added that further pressure on Sri Lanka, through action such as “vetoing future loans from the international Monetary Fund (IMF)” may be an avenue to encourage change for Tamils in Sri Lanka. 

Expressing concern at the make-up of the new Sirisena government, Mr Scott added, “The new president was a member of the same party as his predecessor.”

Sri Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena pledged to implement new plans that will strengthen “national security”, in an address to the Ministry of Defence on Thursday.

Mr Sirisena, who also holds the title of Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, said “every effort would be initiated in strengthening the National Security within the Democratic framework as per the Constitution.”

He further added that it was the “expectation of the government to implement a programme to strengthen national security locally and internationally,” reports ColomboPage.