BRITISH Prime Minister David Cameron has hinted at a stark
divide between Australia and Britain over alleged rights abuses in
Sri Lanka, saying it is important not to "glide over difficult
issues", but his stance has been rejected by his hosts.
At a media conference on the sidelines of the Commonwealth summit
in Colombo, Mr Cameron made the comments after setting a March
deadline for the Sri Lankan government to set up an independent
inquiry into war crimes.
Mr Cameron warned that if that did not happen he would formally
demand an international investigation.
But last night a senior Sri Lankan minister rejected pressure for
any international probe into alleged war crimes at the end of the
country's civil war, saying the government would "definitely"
not allow it.
"Why should we have an internal inquiry? We will object to
it . . . definitely we are not going to allow it," Economic
Development Minister Basil Rajapakse, who is a brother of President
Mahinda Rajapakse, told AFP.
Also last night, President Rajapakse said Sri Lanka must be
trusted to conduct its own investigation into war crimes
allegations.
"People in glass houses must not throw stones,"
President Rajapakse told a press conference in Colombo, where he is
chairing the Commonwealth Heads of Government meeting.
Mr Cameron's ultimatum was delivered less than 24 hours after the
British Prime Minister became the first foreign leader since Sri
Lankan independence in 1948 to visit the northern provincial capital
of Jaffna.
"It's fair to say to the Sri Lankans there needs to be an
independent inquiry into the particularly dreadful things that
happened at the end of the war but if they do not set it up I will
fully back an international inquiry," he said.
Mr Cameron's tough stand has highlighted the difference between
Britain and Australia's position on the fellow Commonwealth founding
member, which faces allegations of war crimes and human rights
abuses, including torture by state security forces, committed during
and after the final stages of the country's 26-year-long civil war
Asked about Tony Abbott's position stated on Friday - that
"difficult things happen" in war and it is not his place
to lecture or embarrass Sri Lanka - Mr Cameron said he would let the
Australian Prime Minister speak for himself.
"I think he's absolutely right that it's important we talk
up the potential of this country," he told reporters.
"I am very keen to do that but we do that not by gliding
over the difficult issues, the human rights issues, journalistic
freedom issues, reconciliation. It's important to talk about those."
Mr Cameron said his visit to northern displacement camps and to
the Uthayan newspaper office in Jaffna - where five journalists had
been murdered which had been subject to numerous deadly attacks
"I will take with me the images of people who have been
displaced and are desperate for homes and livelihoods and I will
also remember going to that newspaper office and seeing how those
journalists had suffered."
"It's very important to see the good and the bad. It's
important I was able to take journalists from the UK with me so they
can report on that."
Mr Cameron described his Friday night meeting with President
Rajapaksa as "frank and clear" in which he raised issues
of human rights, media freedom, displaced people.
"At the heart of what I'm saying is an optimistic message
about this country. It has a chance for real success after the end
of the civil war and my message is to seize that chance by trying to
reconcile people within this country," he said.
The biennial Commonwealth summit has been mired in controversy,
with Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper and then Indian prime
minister Manmohan Singh boycotting the summit over the Colombo
government’s failure to address alleged human rights abuses.
Early yesterday Mauritius, which has also boycotted attending
this summit, pulled out of its planned role of hosting CHOGM in
2015.
Meanwhile, as reported in The Weekend Australian yesterday, the
Sri Lankan government yesterday confirmed an arrangement was being
negotiated with Australia to tackle people-smuggling.
Sri Lankan Minister for Media, Keheliya Rambukwella, told
journalists in Colombo the deal was a memorandum of understanding
between the two navies.
"There is an arrangement, an MOU to be signed between the
two naval forces,'' the minister said.
"All the details have been discussed and once it is signed
it will be made a public document.''
Mr Abbott told reporters in Colombo on Friday that Australia had
"good and close co-operation'' with the Sri Lankan government
and navy.
"I'll be thanking the Sri Lankans for the co-operation which
they have extended to us on this important issue and I will have
more to say about this in the next day or so,'' Mr Abbott said.
At home, Mr Abbott's assessment of torture in Sri Lanka was
slammed by the federal opposition.
Mr Abbott told reporters in Sri Lanka that while his government
"deplores the use of torture we accept that sometimes in
difficult circumstances difficult things happen".
Labor rejected the comment.
"The use of torture is never justifiable," Labor's
attorney-general spokesman Mark Dreyfus said.
"There is never a 'difficult' situation where torture should
be accepted."
Additional reporting: AFP, AAP
- See more at:
http://www.theaustralian.com.au
BRITISH
Prime Minister David Cameron has hinted at a stark divide between
Australia and Britain over alleged rights abuses in Sri Lanka, saying it
is important not to "glide over difficult issues", but his stance has
been rejected by his hosts.
At a media conference on the sidelines of the Commonwealth summit
in Colombo, Mr Cameron made the comments after setting a March deadline
for the Sri Lankan government to set up an independent inquiry into war
crimes.
Mr Cameron warned that if that did not happen he would formally demand an international investigation.
But
last night a senior Sri Lankan minister rejected pressure for any
international probe into alleged war crimes at the end of the country's
civil war, saying the government would "definitely" not allow it.
"Why
should we have an internal inquiry? We will object to it . . .
definitely we are not going to allow it," Economic Development Minister
Basil Rajapakse, who is a brother of President Mahinda Rajapakse, told
AFP.
Also last night, President Rajapakse said Sri Lanka must be trusted
to conduct its own investigation into war crimes allegations.
"People
in glass houses must not throw stones," President Rajapakse told a
press conference in Colombo, where he is chairing the Commonwealth Heads
of Government meeting.
Mr Cameron's ultimatum was delivered less
than 24 hours after the British Prime Minister became the first foreign
leader since Sri Lankan independence in 1948 to visit the northern
provincial capital of Jaffna.
"It's fair to say to the Sri
Lankans there needs to be an independent inquiry into the particularly
dreadful things that happened at the end of the war but if they do not
set it up I will fully back an international inquiry," he said.
Mr
Cameron's tough stand has highlighted the difference between Britain
and Australia's position on the fellow Commonwealth founding member,
which faces allegations of war crimes and human rights abuses, including
torture by state security forces, committed during and after the final
stages of the country's 26-year-long civil war
Asked about Tony
Abbott's position stated on Friday - that "difficult things happen" in
war and it is not his place to lecture or embarrass Sri Lanka - Mr
Cameron said he would let the Australian Prime Minister speak for
himself.
"I think he's absolutely right that it's important we talk up the potential of this country," he told reporters.
"I
am very keen to do that but we do that not by gliding over the
difficult issues, the human rights issues, journalistic freedom issues,
reconciliation. It's important to talk about those."
Mr Cameron
said his visit to northern displacement camps and to the Uthayan
newspaper office in Jaffna - where five journalists had been murdered
which had been subject to numerous deadly attacks
"I will take
with me the images of people who have been displaced and are desperate
for homes and livelihoods and I will also remember going to that
newspaper office and seeing how those journalists had suffered."
"It's
very important to see the good and the bad. It's important I was able
to take journalists from the UK with me so they can report on that."
Mr
Cameron described his Friday night meeting with President Rajapaksa as
"frank and clear" in which he raised issues of human rights, media
freedom, displaced people.
"At the heart of what I'm saying is an
optimistic message about this country. It has a chance for real success
after the end of the civil war and my message is to seize that chance
by trying to reconcile people within this country," he said.
The
biennial Commonwealth summit has been mired in controversy, with
Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper and then Indian prime minister
Manmohan Singh boycotting the summit over the Colombo government’s
failure to address alleged human rights abuses.
Early yesterday
Mauritius, which has also boycotted attending this summit, pulled out of
its planned role of hosting CHOGM in 2015.
Meanwhile, as reported
in The Weekend Australian yesterday, the Sri Lankan government
yesterday confirmed an arrangement was being negotiated with Australia
to tackle people-smuggling.
Sri Lankan Minister for Media,
Keheliya Rambukwella, told journalists in Colombo the deal was a
memorandum of understanding between the two navies.
"There is an arrangement, an MOU to be signed between the two naval forces,'' the minister said.
"All the details have been discussed and once it is signed it will be made a public document.''
Mr
Abbott told reporters in Colombo on Friday that Australia had "good and
close co-operation'' with the Sri Lankan government and navy.
"I'll
be thanking the Sri Lankans for the co-operation which they have
extended to us on this important issue and I will have more to say about
this in the next day or so,'' Mr Abbott said.
At home, Mr Abbott's assessment of torture in Sri Lanka was slammed by the federal opposition.
Mr
Abbott told reporters in Sri Lanka that while his government "deplores
the use of torture we accept that sometimes in difficult circumstances
difficult things happen".
Labor rejected the comment.
"The use of torture is never justifiable," Labor's attorney-general spokesman Mark Dreyfus said.
"There is never a 'difficult' situation where torture should be accepted."
Additional reporting: AFP, AAP
- See more at:
http://www.theaustralian.com.au/national-affairs/abbott-cameron-diverge-on-sri-lanka-human-rights/story-fn59niix-1226761628995#sthash.2KZoEunH.dpuf
BRITISH
Prime Minister David Cameron has hinted at a stark divide between
Australia and Britain over alleged rights abuses in Sri Lanka, saying it
is important not to "glide over difficult issues", but his stance has
been rejected by his hosts.
At a media conference on the sidelines of the Commonwealth summit
in Colombo, Mr Cameron made the comments after setting a March deadline
for the Sri Lankan government to set up an independent inquiry into war
crimes.
Mr Cameron warned that if that did not happen he would formally demand an international investigation.
But
last night a senior Sri Lankan minister rejected pressure for any
international probe into alleged war crimes at the end of the country's
civil war, saying the government would "definitely" not allow it.
"Why
should we have an internal inquiry? We will object to it . . .
definitely we are not going to allow it," Economic Development Minister
Basil Rajapakse, who is a brother of President Mahinda Rajapakse, told
AFP.
Also last night, President Rajapakse said Sri Lanka must be trusted
to conduct its own investigation into war crimes allegations.
"People
in glass houses must not throw stones," President Rajapakse told a
press conference in Colombo, where he is chairing the Commonwealth Heads
of Government meeting.
Mr Cameron's ultimatum was delivered less
than 24 hours after the British Prime Minister became the first foreign
leader since Sri Lankan independence in 1948 to visit the northern
provincial capital of Jaffna.
"It's fair to say to the Sri
Lankans there needs to be an independent inquiry into the particularly
dreadful things that happened at the end of the war but if they do not
set it up I will fully back an international inquiry," he said.
Mr
Cameron's tough stand has highlighted the difference between Britain
and Australia's position on the fellow Commonwealth founding member,
which faces allegations of war crimes and human rights abuses, including
torture by state security forces, committed during and after the final
stages of the country's 26-year-long civil war
Asked about Tony
Abbott's position stated on Friday - that "difficult things happen" in
war and it is not his place to lecture or embarrass Sri Lanka - Mr
Cameron said he would let the Australian Prime Minister speak for
himself.
"I think he's absolutely right that it's important we talk up the potential of this country," he told reporters.
"I
am very keen to do that but we do that not by gliding over the
difficult issues, the human rights issues, journalistic freedom issues,
reconciliation. It's important to talk about those."
Mr Cameron
said his visit to northern displacement camps and to the Uthayan
newspaper office in Jaffna - where five journalists had been murdered
which had been subject to numerous deadly attacks
"I will take
with me the images of people who have been displaced and are desperate
for homes and livelihoods and I will also remember going to that
newspaper office and seeing how those journalists had suffered."
"It's
very important to see the good and the bad. It's important I was able
to take journalists from the UK with me so they can report on that."
Mr
Cameron described his Friday night meeting with President Rajapaksa as
"frank and clear" in which he raised issues of human rights, media
freedom, displaced people.
"At the heart of what I'm saying is an
optimistic message about this country. It has a chance for real success
after the end of the civil war and my message is to seize that chance
by trying to reconcile people within this country," he said.
The
biennial Commonwealth summit has been mired in controversy, with
Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper and then Indian prime minister
Manmohan Singh boycotting the summit over the Colombo government’s
failure to address alleged human rights abuses.
Early yesterday
Mauritius, which has also boycotted attending this summit, pulled out of
its planned role of hosting CHOGM in 2015.
Meanwhile, as reported
in The Weekend Australian yesterday, the Sri Lankan government
yesterday confirmed an arrangement was being negotiated with Australia
to tackle people-smuggling.
Sri Lankan Minister for Media,
Keheliya Rambukwella, told journalists in Colombo the deal was a
memorandum of understanding between the two navies.
"There is an arrangement, an MOU to be signed between the two naval forces,'' the minister said.
"All the details have been discussed and once it is signed it will be made a public document.''
Mr
Abbott told reporters in Colombo on Friday that Australia had "good and
close co-operation'' with the Sri Lankan government and navy.
"I'll
be thanking the Sri Lankans for the co-operation which they have
extended to us on this important issue and I will have more to say about
this in the next day or so,'' Mr Abbott said.
At home, Mr Abbott's assessment of torture in Sri Lanka was slammed by the federal opposition.
Mr
Abbott told reporters in Sri Lanka that while his government "deplores
the use of torture we accept that sometimes in difficult circumstances
difficult things happen".
Labor rejected the comment.
"The use of torture is never justifiable," Labor's attorney-general spokesman Mark Dreyfus said.
"There is never a 'difficult' situation where torture should be accepted."
Additional reporting: AFP, AAP
- See more at:
http://www.theaustralian.com.au/national-affairs/abbott-cameron-diverge-on-sri-lanka-human-rights/story-fn59niix-1226761628995#sthash.2KZoEunH.dpuf
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