§ Ms PerhamTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations he has made to the Sri Lankan Government concerning(a) the Bandarawela massacre on 25 October and (b) the continuing level of violence in that country. [142566]
§ Mr. HainWe were shocked to learn of the terrible massacre at the Bindunuwewa Rehabilitation Centre. We have made clear our concerns to the Sri Lankan government and I raised the incident with the Sri Lankan Prime Minister when I visited Colombo last month. We are pleased that the government quickly undertook to conduct a full inquiry into the massacre. We have underlined the need for the inquiry to be independent, swift and transparent. The on-going conflict is the major root-cause of violence in Sri Lanka. We continue to urge both sides to cease hostilities and seek a peaceful, negotiated settlement. We are encouraged by the positive statements made both by the government of Sri Lanka and the LTTE about taking the peace process forward.