Britain says disappointed by SL’s pace of change

16 May 2018 05:46 am

The British Government on Friday said it was disappointed by the Sri Lanka’s pace of change in terms of fulfilling its international commitments and said there was much remaining to be done.

Mark Field, Minister of State for Asia and the Pacific told British Parliament on Friday that he met Foreign Minister Tilak Marapana in the margins of the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in London and discussed about the progress achieved by Sri Lanka.

“I met Minister Marapana on April 18. We discussed the progress made by Sri Lanka against its international commitments. I set out the British Government's view that there is much remaining to be done and we have been disappointed by the pace of change,” he said.

He said there was limited progress on Human Rights in Sri Lanka and Sri Lanka remained a Human Rights Priority Country for the British Government.

When Labour Party MP Catherine West asked what recent assessment State Minister Field had made of the human rights and security situation in Sri Lanka, he said the Sri Lankan Government called a State of Emergency in response to attacks on Muslim communities in February 2018.

“We have encouraged the authorities to ensure that those responsible are investigated and held accountable,” he said.

Meanwhile, he said Britain led a strong joint statement at the March UNHR Council calling on the Sri Lankan Government to redouble its efforts to deliver the commitments it made to the Council in 2015 and 2017. (Lahiru Pothmulla)