§ Mr. CoxTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what issues concerning the Tamil community in Sri Lanka have been discussed by his Department with the Sri Lankan Government over the last 12 months; and if he will make a statement. [158732]
§ Mr. WilsonWe continue to raise with the Sri Lankan Government our concerns about the situation in Sri Lanka, including human rights, the Bindunawewa massacre, the safety of journalists and the need for food and medical supplies to reach citizens in the Vanni. We urge the Sri Lankan Government and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam to work together with Norway to secure a settlement to the conflict that meets the aspirations of all communities in Sri Lanka.
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§ Mr. CoxTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what areas of Sri Lanka the British High Commissioner and her staff have visited during the last six months; and if he will make a statement. [158733]
§ Mr. WilsonThe British High Commissioner and her staff regularly visit different regions in Sri Lanka. In the last six months, the High Commissioner has visited Trincomalee, Puttalam, Batticaloa, Galle and Nuwara Eliya. During her visits, she met Government officials, representatives of the security forces, non-governmental organisations, Tamil and Muslim communities and the Catholic clergy to discuss, among other things, the impact of the internal conflict on local communities.