Foreign Secretary says it is time for the UK to recognize SL’s progress on human rights

• The ongoing strategic competition in the Indian Ocean, which despite Covid constraints, continued unabated. Speaking of the ongoing global power struggle, he said Sri Lanka’s response was to follow a foreign policy of neutrality whilst remaining non-aligned

Foreign Secretary Prof. Jayanath Colombage said it was time, the UK recognized the steady, tangible progress being made by Sri Lanka regarding the human rights situation. He made these remarks while addressing a webinar organized by the Pathfinder Foundation (PF) with the UK based International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS). 

The two think-tanks engaged in a Track 1.5 virtual dialogue to examine the current status of Sri Lanka-United Kingdom relations. The virtual dialogue was conducted under the Chatham House rules and included a presentation each by a speaker from the UK and Sri Lanka under each topic, followed by a Q & A session.  
The Foreign Secretary said strategic competition in the Indian Ocean is ongoing which despite Covid-19 related constraints continued unabated and Sri Lanka’s response was to follow a foreign policy of neutrality while remaining non-aligned.  

A joint statement said the dialogue broadly looked at three focused areas. Session 1 on Maritime Security Cooperation was Chaired by Dr. Rahul Roy Choudhury with Nick Childs and Rohan Gunaratna presenting on behalf of the UK and Sri Lanka respectively. Session 2 on China-Sri Lanka Economic Cooperation included H.M.G.S. Palihakkara as the Chair and Ganeshan Wignaraja and Sir Hugo Swire as the speakers. Kshenuka Seneviratne Chaired Session 3 on The Way Ahead for UK – SL relations, whilst the speakers were Indrajit Coomaraswamy and Stephen Evans. The Keynote Session was chaired by Desmond Bowen, Associate Fellow, IISS and former Director General of International Policy at the Ministry of Defence in the UK. The Keynote remarks were made by Admiral (Retd.) Prof. Colombage, Sri Lanka’s Foreign Secretary.   

The Foreign Secretary said that his views were his personal, highlighted his close relations with the British High Commission in Colombo and that the two countries were engaged in close bilateral relations on many spheres. He observed that the economic relations between the two countries were of paramount importance to Sri Lanka at a time when the present pandemic had an adverse impact on the island’s economy.  

Leading on to the post Brexit phase, the Foreign Secretary mentioned that Sri Lanka was looking forward to enhancing its trade with the UK as one of its large export markets. In addition, tourism from the UK represented a large segment, which brought in much needed foreign exchange, which has come to a standstill due to the adverse pandemic situation. However, he was positive of the success of the country’s inoculation programme against Covid-19, which he believed would result in a more conducive environment for trade and tourism.   
With regard to the importance of a strategic dialogue, Foreign Secretary highlighted the ongoing strategic competition in the Indian Ocean, which despite Covid constraints, continued unabated. Speaking of the ongoing global power struggle, he said Sri Lanka’s response was to follow a foreign policy of neutrality whilst remaining non-aligned.  

He finally spoke on the human rights issue, where the UK had played a key role heading the Contact Group on Sri Lanka in the United Nations Human Rights Council. He stressed that it was time, the UK recognized the steady, tangible progress being made by Sri Lanka in this respect. As a founding member of the Commonwealth, Sri Lanka considered the UK to be an important partner and requested the UK to lend its support to Sri Lanka.