§ Mr. SternTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs to what extent the question of human rights in Sri Lanka has been discussed in the context of aid negotiations with that country's Government.
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§ Mr. Lennox-BoydWe have on a number of occasions raised the question of human rights in the context of aid negotiations with the Sri Lanka Government, notably at meetings of the World bank-led aid group.
At the latest meeting of the aid group held in Paris on 25 October, the United Kingdom delegation, in common with other donors, made it clear that human rights performance was one of the factors to be taken into account in future decisions on aid.
§ Mr. SternTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on his most recent discussions with European Community Foreign Ministers on the subject of human rights in Sri Lanka.
§ Mr. Lennox-BoydEC member states have considered this question on several occasions in recent months. Our most recent consideration resulted in a demarche by EC heads of mission in Colombo on 19 October and a statement by the EC presidency at the aid consortium meeting in Paris on 25 October, in which the Community and its member states urged the Sri Lankan Government to observe their international obligations in the field of human rights.
§ Mr. SternTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on his most recent discussions with the Government of Sri Lanka on the subject of human rights and alleged violations thereof by officials of that Government and the Indian peacekeeping force in Sri Lanka.
§ Mr. Lennox-BoydWe have had no discussions with the Sri Lankan Government about violations of human rights by the Indian peacekeeping force, which withdrew from Sri Lanka in March.
Our high commissioner in Colombo has raised our concerns about human rights abuses by Sri Lankan Government agencies with the President directly, and with his Ministers on many occasions.
§ Mr. SillarsTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs who will attend the Sri Lankan aid consortium meeting in Paris; and if United Kingdom representatives will express formal concern at breaches of human rights by Sri Lankan Government security forces.
§ Mr. Lennox-BoydWe were represented at the aid consortium meeting in Paris on 25 October by officials from the ODA. We have regularly voiced our concerns about human rights abuses by the Sri Lankan Government and on this occasion the British delegation, in common with other donors, made it clear that human rights performance was one of the factors to be taken into account in future decisions on aid.