§ Mr. LlwydTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs (1) what representations he has made to the Sri Lankan Government regarding(a) the situation of the Tamil people and (b) human rights violations against the Tamil people;[8733]
(2) if he will list the recent meetings he has had with representatives of the Sri Lankan Government regarding the situation of the Tamil people.[8726]
§ Mr. BradshawWe are concerned about the plight of civilians affected by the conflict and urge the Government and the LTTE to cease hostilities and negotiate a peaceful settlement. The Prime Minister and the then Foreign Secretary, my right hon. Friend the Member for Livingston (Mr. Cook), reiterated our support for the peace process when they met President Kumaratunga and Foreign Minister Kadirgamar in March.
§ Mr. LlwydTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs (1) if he will list the representations that he has received from representatives of the Tamil people regarding human rights in Sri Lanka; [8727]
(2) if he will list the recent meetings he has had with representatives of the Tamil people regarding human rights violations in Sri Lanka.[8725]
§ Mr. BradshawStaff in our High Commission in Colombo regularly meet representatives from all communities in Sri Lanka, including the Tamil community. We stay in touch with UK-based Sri Lankan groups and human rights organisations. We remain concerned by reports of human rights abuses in Sri Lanka and continue to remind the Government of the need to18W respect human rights. We are also concerned about human rights abuses committed by the LTTE and reports that they are still using child soldiers.