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The British High Commission says…

14 December 2010 11:12 am - 55     - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

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By Sandun A. Jayasekara

The questions posed by Daily Mirror journalist and replies from the British High Commission regarding the treatment meted out to Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa during his visit to the UK are published below.

Email replies to questions posed by Daily Mirror journalist -

(1)    How come the Thames Valley Police succumbed to the pressure exerted by some odd 400 – 500 Tamils who openly support a militant movement listed as a terrorist movement and banned in the UK?

Answer from the British High Commission (BHC)- The UK police provided appropriate security for the President. There was never a question of his safety being at risk.

(2)    Does this so called ban restrict only to the paper?

(3)    How it was possible for members of a banned terrorist organization to carry out a campaign against Sri Lanka and its President while demonstrating the LTTE flag openly?

Answer from the BHC –

The LTTE was proscribed as a terrorist organisation in the UK in 2001. Proscription makes it a criminal offence for a person to belong to or invite support for a proscribed organisation. It is also a criminal offence for a person to knowingly arrange a meeting to support a proscribed organisation or to wear clothing or to carry articles in public which arouse reasonable suspicion that they are a member or supporter of the proscribed organisation.
 
It is the responsibility of the UK police to investigate the alleged commission of any criminal offences. The UK Government is unable to comment on Police operational matters.

(4)    Do the British government and the British Police take the same attitude if Al Qaida or Taliban carry out a protest and participate in anti US demonstrations if and when the President Obama visits UK?

No response from BHC

(5)    Did not the British Government have any responsibility to provide ample security to a visiting head of state of a friendly commonwealth country even if it was a private visit?

Answer from the BHC –

The UK government had no involvement in the planning of the event at the Oxford Union, or the decision to cancel it. Public order and security considerations were a matter for the Oxford Union and the Police.

(6)     What actions the British government and the British law enforcement authorities are going to take against the anti Sri Lanka activities by the LTTE in the UK despite its ban?

Answer from the BHC –

It is the responsibility of the UK police to investigate the alleged commission of any criminal offences. The UK Government is unable to comment on Police operational matters.

(7)    What actions the British government expects to take to prevent a repetition of similar incident in future that violated the British law and offended a friendly country?

No response from BHC

(8)    Why Minister Douglas Devananda was refused Visa to the UK by the High Commission       

 Answer from the BHC –

 The British High Commission cannot comment on individual visa applications to third parties.


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  Comments - 55

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  • Saradial Wednesday, 15 December 2010 05:47 AM

    Irresponsible answers from BHC like our ministers!

    True is here Tuesday, 14 December 2010 01:47 PM

    dear daily mirror,please wait for a another wikileaks leak in future and that time you w'll knows who arranged this protest against to our King MR.

    Mewan Tuesday, 14 December 2010 02:10 PM

    GOOD JOB DAILY MIRROR. WELL DONE.

    Sumal Tuesday, 14 December 2010 02:18 PM

    Resembling our ministers.

    Minister Tuesday, 14 December 2010 02:21 PM

    BHC's double standard is quite obvious even from the answers given to DM.

    nagu Tuesday, 14 December 2010 02:22 PM

    very good comment Thushara.....Like wikileaks said this Govt also looking for the LTTE diaspora votes.....BHS is representing the British government so they should answer all the questions.....

    channa Tuesday, 14 December 2010 02:23 PM

    Yeah.....What happened to the Home of Democracy?.....More like home of the free terrorists....

    pissu balla Tuesday, 14 December 2010 02:45 PM

    It is not clear that UK government is maintaining double standards or not. UK government surely know that Police is an independent institution in UK not like in SL.

    Fuzz Tuesday, 14 December 2010 02:48 PM

    Spot on Gamage....Let us practise real peace in our nation, before dictating acts to other nation...Wipe both karuna and pillayan from the Parliment...

    Chaminda Tilakumara Tuesday, 14 December 2010 02:51 PM

    Typical wishy washy approach when it comes to us.

    oyage podi guru Tuesday, 14 December 2010 03:32 PM

    In fully fledged democracies, institutions such as that of the police, are not instantly and directly responsible to the supreme authority of the government.

    Rajitha Wednesday, 15 December 2010 03:01 AM

    Well done DM you have the guts. This is what we all ask for. Double standards and you dont have to go far than the revange taken upon Wikileaks guy.

    SAMEERA Wednesday, 15 December 2010 03:49 AM

    this is our mistake either by ignoring warning or not being warned

    YURI Tuesday, 14 December 2010 01:44 PM

    How many time people said, British Gov has nothing to with his Visit. He went some kind of wedding invitation... to entertain the Sri Lankan

    UD Wednesday, 15 December 2010 05:48 AM

    THE BRITISH POLICE SERVICE HAS BEEN PRIVATIZED!!!!!!

    demon Wednesday, 15 December 2010 05:52 AM

    No response from BHC for the question numbers 4 and 7...interesting....banning Al Qaida,Taliban and supporting LTTE...?????

    NAK Wednesday, 15 December 2010 06:43 AM

    Throwing rotten eggs and tomatoes at prince Charles was operational police matter and the police chief resigned.

    karunaratna Wednesday, 15 December 2010 09:13 AM

    The overaction towards the defenseless students at the demonstrations and the passive action towards a proscribed LTTE that blatantly flouted the law shows the mentality of the police chief.

    xlntgson Wednesday, 15 December 2010 09:53 AM

    Then, why the hell, this statement, is it to control the damage caused or to confuse worst to confound?

    ardneham Wednesday, 15 December 2010 11:25 AM

    The Police cannot be blamed. Those protesting were "victims"
    and some may have had LTTE Flags in their pockets which
    the Police did not search. They would have been present even
    without flags. It is a deceitful person who was in the wrong
    place at the wrong time !!

    de silva Wednesday, 15 December 2010 03:11 PM

    Thank you daily mirror for asking these questions. Well drafted set of questions. Way to go Daily Mirror. Exactly the questions I wanted to ask. The british must be thinking that sri-lankans are 'thanakola kana gonnu' to belive these answers for sure.

    Dr.I.M.C.Fernando-UK Wednesday, 15 December 2010 05:29 PM

    Is Scotland Yard and the British Police privatised ???? I don't think so. Not as yet anyway !! What a ludicrous statement from the BHC in Sr Lanka.

    Nihal Thursday, 16 December 2010 02:19 AM

    What an excuse by a government of so called "Great Britain". They squeezed our wealth for more than a century to build their country and still try to dictate terms on us.

    Nimal Thursday, 16 December 2010 03:15 AM

    Over 500 met officers were deployed to protect him with mobile control and command centre placed outside the hotel.This was done in spite of their ranks were overstretched by the student demo nearby.Not even the royalty had this kind of protection.With respect to the demo which was spontaneous and well organized was difficult to stop but was controlled and arrests were made over some offences.Diaspora knew well ahead of his visit ,perhaps leaked to their contacts by the very people close to the administration.It was poorly planned by the folks in Colombo.

    Gamage Tuesday, 14 December 2010 12:22 PM

    @ common man ,
    You are talking about British cops. See whats hapenning in Colombo ? Karuna is in parliment !! what actions we have taken against him ? What actions we have taken against KP..
    On the other hand we all do not like UK and all other western governments ...then why do we go there to do lectures in their kitchen ....I really do not understand this double standard ...

    malkanthi Tuesday, 14 December 2010 11:32 AM

    I think the common understanding is that a head of a state should visit a country by an invitation extended by the respective government, and can make use of this for any unofficial ceremonies. Besides, the high commissioner in UK and our foreign minister also has not approved this visit.

    Adi Tuesday, 14 December 2010 11:39 AM

    Brits- Naked with Tigers

    Theshara Jayasinghe Tuesday, 14 December 2010 11:51 AM

    What does the governance means to BHC could you please define?
    Does British police operates on its own on the matters related to public security and law & order?
    Isn’t there any communication between British police and the Government?
    Who controls British Police under what jurisdiction?
    Does British Police operate in the cornwall peninsula?

    Afker Tuesday, 14 December 2010 11:56 AM

    I can see double standards when it comes to Terrorism in the West. I am sure the British Government will go out of the way to stop protests by Al Qaeda and the Taliban movement in the UK at any cost. However I dont see the same treatment for the L.T.T.E despite the ban. It shows the influence the Tamil Diaspora holds with the British Goverment especially with wafer thin majorities which was confirmed by the actions of David Miliband and reported by Wiki Leaks.

    gig1 Tuesday, 14 December 2010 11:56 AM

    See the real workings of BHC...

    sam Tuesday, 14 December 2010 11:58 AM

    Sri Lanka parliamentarians stage protests in front of the BHC and UN office, yet they expect to be welcomed warmly and treated well when they visit the west; unbelievable!

    indike Tuesday, 14 December 2010 12:01 PM

    Top class questions by Dailymirror. These were the same questions that I wanted to ask from the naked BHC.

    It's like Dailymirror read the Sinhala mind & e-mailed the questions. HAHAHA "Does this so called ban restricted only to paper?"

    Mahi Tuesday, 14 December 2010 12:02 PM

    Yo, is this called Q&A? No proper A's from the BHC.

    Common Man Tuesday, 14 December 2010 12:02 PM

    BHC, we haven’t seen any arrests made by Brit Police so far over this issue. It seems Brits cops too are under LTTE Diaspora pay list. You people are undermining Sri Lankan democracy. There was a time when Brits Banks had all the worlds’ terrorists’ accounts & received contributions in Billions, in return Brit Admin turned a blind eye until 9/11 happened. Nature will punish you people dearly for this kind of double standards. Shame on you people.

    malkanthi Tuesday, 14 December 2010 12:04 PM

    Lack of understanding on protocol matters lead them to use such silly tactics, which seem the modern way of pleasing superiors.

    Wickileaks Tuesday, 14 December 2010 12:11 PM

    Our President visited so called Great Britain, not, Somalia or Afghanistan. The bottom line is Brits favor a Terrorist group than an elected President of a Democracy for their own reasons. (defeating world’s deadliest terrorists outfit)

    TMA Tuesday, 14 December 2010 12:14 PM

    FYI British Police is an independent institute. Independent from the govt.

    Matahari Tuesday, 14 December 2010 12:17 PM

    BHC is answering like a child. (baba part or baby part) as if he does not know whether the Brits cops are under Gov. or a Private entity.

    sltk2004 Tuesday, 14 December 2010 11:31 AM

    "It is the responsibility of the UK police to investigate the alleged commission of any criminal offences. The UK Government is unable to comment on Police operational matters." Very nice answer - just like answers from many or our ministers during media briefings.. Simply sliding out of the question..

    Thard Tuesday, 14 December 2010 12:28 PM

    Well drafted set of Questions... Way to go Daily Mirror !!! High Fives...

    Yehiya-Doha Tuesday, 14 December 2010 12:31 PM

    British is one of the most democratic country. Blair administration totally dark period for English.

    P C Fernando Tuesday, 14 December 2010 12:34 PM

    Fully endorse Sltk2004 remark. Does the BHC answer means Police not coming under the Govt?? Isnt Police coming under Defense Secretary, who is responsible to the Govt of Britain ??? How silly the responses are. BHC might thinking that Sri Lankans are 'thanakola kana Gonnu'.

    Cobra Tuesday, 14 December 2010 12:35 PM

    The President's safety was never in doubt at the hands of the British authorities but they let him, a leader of a country who visited there at their invitation be insulted. They purposely let it happen to get even and that is the plain truth!

    Cobra Tuesday, 14 December 2010 12:37 PM

    ...and after the Wikileaks leaks, they can never be holier than thou!!!!

    gig1 Tuesday, 14 December 2010 12:59 PM

    double trouble standards

    TMA Tuesday, 14 December 2010 01:07 PM

    That's the way in SL. There it's independent. Same kinda thing we tried 2 do in our ammendment.

    KHKaru Tuesday, 14 December 2010 01:07 PM

    .....and sleeping with the enemy (of Sri Lanka) It seems that the Brit police itself is an NGO!

    Free Thinker Tuesday, 14 December 2010 01:10 PM

    Very poor show Hon High Commissioner!!. Couldn't believe the eyes when read the childish answers. Our politiciens may be acting like head cut off chooks but general public is quite inteligent and these naked answers help the stupid (un)patriotic politiciens to fan even more anty-western sentiments.

    Arasi Tuesday, 14 December 2010 01:15 PM

    @ Gamage
    If you do not like Uk, why do you use their language?

    Comman Man Tuesday, 14 December 2010 01:28 PM

    We are in the process of bringing criminals to justice, rehabilitating surrendered carders & most importantly clearing the head of state's image internationally. The strong terrorist’s Diaspora is making everything possible to tarnish our image with their dirty money. Whether we like it or not, Oxford trip was a good start. The cunning Brits knew it and acted this way.


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