§ 12. Mr. Wareingasked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when he last met the High Commissioner of Sri Lanka; and what subjects he discussed with him.
§ Mr. EggarMy right hon. and learned Friend the Foreign Secretary has met the Sri Lankan high commissioner on a number of occasions, most recently on 18 March when the high commissioner called on him, accompanied by the Sri Lankan Minister of Foreign Affairs, the hon. Mr. Hameed.
§ Mr. WareingDoes the Minister agree that it is a matter for great sorrow that that Commonwealth country should be ravaged by communal violence? If support is not given to Mr. Rajiv Gandhi's peace initiative, there is a great danger that both communities will be dominated by their own extremists. As the communities in Ceylon inherited that division from the days of British imperialism, could not the British Government play a role in spearheading a Commonwealth initiative to back Rajiv Gandhi in order to bring together those two communities?
§ Mr. EggarI thank the hon. Gentleman for the way in which he analysed the situation in the first part of his question. We deplore the continuing violence in Sri Lanka. We acknowledge Mr Gandhi's valuable and positive role in encouraging direct talks between the Sri Lankan Government and Tamil representatives. We shall support any efforts that are aimed at furthering the peace process. However, we believe that India has a crucial role in this whole area. We would be prepared to do whatever we can to support that role.
§ Mr. SimsIs my hon. Friend aware that many hon. Members are friends of Sri Lanka and its people and would like to convey to them our distress at the continuing violence and, in particular, our sympathy over the outrage that has been reported today? May I warmly endorse the 324 views expressed by the hon. Member for Liverpool, West Derby (Mr. Wareing), and point out that the Indian Government have sought to effect a reconciliation for 12 months, without any success? Both communities hold the United Kingdom in high regard. Is not the time ripe for the British Government to take a positive initiative in effecting a reconciliation?
§ Mr. EggarI thank my hon. Friend for his remarks, and I shall ensure that his, and those of the hon. Member for Liverpool, West Derby (Mr. Wareing), are drawn to the attention of the Sri Lankan high commissioner. We continue to believe that we should assist the Indian Government in any way felt appropriate and should keep in close touch with the Sri Lankan Government.
§ Mr. CorbynDoes the Minister accept that the origin of many of Sri Lanka's problems lies in the continual exclusion of the Tamil people from Government and other constitutional processes? Does he further accept that his concern to achieve peace in Sri Lanka would be far more credible if the British Government stopped supplying the Sri Lankan Government with arms, which have been used to kill Tamil people, and withdrew any training facilities offered to the Sri Lankan armed forces in this country? That would be one way of showing that he was determined to achieve peace in that country instead of escalating the communal violence.
§ Mr. EggarMay I first say how pleased I am to see the hon. Gentleman participating in the democratic process rather than demonstrating on the streets—
§ Mr. SpeakerOrder. Every hon. Member must take responsibility for what he says.
§ Mr. EggarI have no intention of withdrawing. I do not see that I have anything to withdraw. I welcomed the hon. Gentleman back to the House.
The hon. Gentleman put a peculiarly one-sided analysis of the problem in Sri Lanka in distinct contradiction to the view of the hon. Member for Liverpool, West Derby. I stress that no serving British military personnel are engaged in training in Sri Lanka.