§ Mr. Greenwayasked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make representations to the Government of Sri Lanka concerning the position of the Tamil minority; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. WhitneyWe deeply regret the current violence in Sri Lanka, which can do nothing to solve the problems of the country, and hope that the Government will be successful in quickly restoring law and order.
The Government of Sri Lanka have said that they are committed to the full protection of human rights of all the people of the country and that they take their international obligations seriously. As I told the hon. Member for Coventry, South-East (Mr. Nellist) on 25 July we welcome these assurances. We are watching the current situation closely and the Sri Lankan Government are aware of our views.