UK explains Miliband’s actions

Wednesday, 10 March 2010 17:04

A visiting British official today explained to Sri Lanka that UK Foreign Secretary David Miliband’s recent participation at the Global Tamil Forum conference in London was aimed at encouraging them to support efforts to achieve peace in Sri Lanka.

Sir Peter Ricketts, the Permanent Under-Secretary (PUS) of the British Foreign Office, at a meeting with Foreign Minister Rohitha Bogollagama today had said that during his speech the Foreign Secretary had urged GTF members to maintain their commitment to peaceful methods and to support domestic attempts within Sri Lanka to achieve a political solution.

“Sir Peter Ricketts explained that Foreign and Commonwealth Office ministers and officials regularly engage with expatriate Sri Lankans from all communities to encourage them to support peaceful efforts to achieve peace in Sri Lanka,” the Foreign Ministry said.

The Sri Lankan government had earlier voiced strong objections over Miliband’s participation at the event saying it was a pro-LTTE event. The acting British High Commissioner in Colombo was also summoned by Minister Bogollagama to voice Sri Lanka’s anger over the latest developments.

Sir Peter Ricketts meanwhile also called on the government to allow humanitarian organizations to play a full role in the resettlement of IDPs. He had expressed the UK’s willingness to support Sri Lanka to restore full freedom of movement to all IDPs, to complete the resettlement process and to help civilians rebuild their lives. (Daily Mirror online)

Comments

-48+81 # Guest 2010-03-10 17:12

Mr. Miliband must have realised that negative effect on his action (attending the GT forum). he also knows that there are many moderate Sri Lankans lives in marginal seats and labour would lose those votes. If people vote tactically then labour would lose those seats with even small swing towards concervative.

In any case, labour party has supported LTTE and it's operation to run in UK and they should realised the mistakes they have made supporting a terrorist organisation in retunr of a few votes.

-30+61 # Guest 2010-03-10 18:23

Cham, I agree with you. Miliband is sending his Rep to show that his act was clean. What he really want is the tamil's vote nothing else. Sri Lankan's living in UK must remember Miliband's bullying tactics. Labour party is a sure loser.

-31+25 # Guest 2010-03-10 18:26

Ok ...Explain it properly...Otherwise We'll take Stern Action !

-54+17 # Guest 2010-03-10 20:35

Dear All;

I have read it all. Sounds like everyone int the world has to speak only what the Thatayas and the Sinhalese people want!!!!!!....hahahahahha.

-12+12 # Guest 2010-03-10 22:12

You made a similar statement on India, and now, India has become your closest 'neighbour' and 'relative.'

-34+11 # Guest 2010-03-10 17:14

What ever......................

-32+45 # Guest 2010-03-10 17:35

No matter wat country, wat NGO comes to help SLanka, Without commission, This gov. wont let any1 to do anything in SLanka...

-17+44 # Guest 2010-03-10 18:27

Well Faizal, they all come to help themselves not to help Sri Lanka and we have to be vigilant.
UK can never help Sri Lanka as they are in a very bad economic situation and people are asking the Govt to cut down on aid.
No matter which Sri Lanka Govt comes into power you cannot disregard any comms because it is offered. Well you would take it wont you? This happens in the so called "first world" no matter what people say.

-39+24 # Guest 2010-03-10 17:43

We respect you sir.................

-50+17 # Guest 2010-03-10 17:46

British government has its sovereignty. Let them do what they like.

-13+57 # Guest 2010-03-10 20:47

British soverinity does not have rights to peek into other country business. And those GTF members are citizens of other countries therefore they have no right to intervene in to SL's business.

-14+43 # Guest 2010-03-10 17:47

Rubbish...Labour is hunger of votes.

-15+30 # Guest 2010-03-10 17:56

Peace? what kind of peace he is talking about? Sir, don't blame but invest, else china and india will gain the maximum.

-37+16 # Guest 2010-03-10 17:56

Miliband’s action is a answer to President's secretary's Interview to Media.

-12+12 # Guest 2010-03-10 18:03

after the explanation is over,check if they have jobs for your kin &/or few bucks to spare.

-7+20 # Guest 2010-03-10 18:07

What country needs is a leeder who can get the various communities to live in peace. The law and order should be kept by the security forces without BIAS and act as a front for one side. What country also need is Justice, right to factual information, and free of the following---- corruption/bribery/commissions. Fear should be in mind of law abiding civilians .

-13+27 # Guest 2010-03-10 18:11

To encourage peace efforts in Sri Lanka may also be the reason why the UK Govt. led my Miliband wanted to stop the war to save the LTTE leader and his gang. My foot!

-16+4 # Guest 2010-03-10 18:26

For what its worth, thanks you for the clarification. Much appreciated.

-29+29 # Guest 2010-03-10 18:31

The tamil diaspora who are UK citizens have all the right to be addressed by their political leaders whether it is Milliband or any event that they have organised. This is as long as it does not break the laws of UK. Clearly the laws of UK are more human and transparent to the humbug judiciary and lawlessness actively promoted by no other persons than the silence of the majority population of Sri Lanka to the antics of their leaders.

-8+16 # Guest 2010-03-10 19:01

Well Spark lets see what the labour government can do to the diaspora. They showed they were involved but at the end dropped everything. Can we trust them? No never. They talk and talk .. what trasnparency they used up tax payers money for the MP's expenses what more?
Let us see if UK will settle the Irish storm before putting their foot into Sri Lanka affairs. I can imagine if India did this as India is more suitable for tamil diaspora.

-11+26 # Guest 2010-03-10 19:24

Right Spark! - of course the Tamil diapora IN the UK is perfectly free to have their gatherings by UK MP's provided the utterances at such gatherings do not compromise the sovereignty or the teerritorial integrity of other nations. If they do be prepared to be hit back and that is what has happened here. If you want a separate state based on your Tamil ethnicity the place for that is Tamil Nadu, the place of Tamil ethnic origijn - not Sri Lanka. In SL you will have to learn to fit in with all others. - S de Silva, London

-0+1 # Guest 2010-03-13 14:20

WELL SAID MY BROTHER,,, I AM FROM CANADA.

-27+10 # Guest 2010-03-10 19:13

UK don't need to give any explanation on their participation with their UK Tamil citizens, its wrong on S/L to question everything sundry and antagonize the western countries to make GSP+ case still worse

-9+26 # Guest 2010-03-10 19:20

Spark, point well taken Tamil Diaspora in the UK are citizens of the UK. Problem arises when the citizens of UK especially the Tamil diaspora are meddling with the affairs of another soveriegn country in this case "Sri Lanka'. So do not sponsor terrorists and maintain LTTE terrorist cells to kill and destroy Sri Lankans. What our leaders do in Sri Lanka is our problem.

-17+26 # Guest 2010-03-10 20:32

I WAS OF THE OPINION THAT MR. MERVYN SILVA IS THE WORST POLITICIAN EVER , BUT MILLIBAND MAKES MR.MERVYN SILVA VERY HONOURABLE

-6+13 # Guest 2010-03-10 21:06

We don't need explanations, we need an apology!

-15+6 # Guest 2010-03-10 21:08

The reality is that whatever the government politicians say to attract the public's vote, they very well know that the country cannot survive without the friendship of Britain and the West.

-4+11 # Guest 2010-03-10 22:12

"Encouraging them to support efforts to achieve peace in Sri Lanka." - Yeah right! These guys live-off chaos, in the country, so why would they want to miss-out on the opportunity?

-12+14 # Guest 2010-03-10 23:30

De Silva - The Tamils too, are indigenous people of the island. You should stop your nonsense about sending-back Tamils, to Tamilnadu. ... Sinhalese and Tamils share more than 55% of their DNA, even after living apart for more than 2500 years. It is indeed very sad that after so much bloodshed, you come-up with this kind of 'venom,' to drive people apart.

-9+10 # Guest 2010-03-11 01:25

Only 55% of DNA? You have no idea do you?

-7+7 # Guest 2010-03-10 23:36

Dear Editor, is it possible to restrict the comment box to a maximum number of words, so that one can stop, when the limit is reached. It is rather frustrating, in this day and age, that you are allowed to type what you want to convey, but only find out that you have wasted your time and thoughts, when your 'comments' get posted. I fully appreciate the reasons for the restrictions, as you need members of staff reading through the comments, to authorise the same.

-10+12 # Guest 2010-03-10 23:46

The 'Global Thaaliban Forum' is now recognized in the UK, by all three political parties.

-6+14 # Guest 2010-03-11 00:40

'Milibanda' only wants the votes of the PRO-LTTE bloc ... also, he has to respect the will of his 'campaign-donors' ...

-13+15 # Guest 2010-03-11 00:57

N. K. Ratnam, you must not distort facts, even if they are in favour of your point! All humans share 99.9% of their genes(Google, The Human Genome Project). So, what are we fighting about ethnicity for? It's only a product of our ignorance and selfishness!

-10+14 # Guest 2010-03-11 02:05

Miliband has just cost his country, in terms of goodwill, for a few Tamil votes.

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