Human rights of Sri Lankan Tamils
Kitt asked about Amnesty International representations and discrimination against Tamils in Sri Lanka. Barry said the Government was closely monitoring the situation after the 1983 violence and that the European Community’s Ten had urged Sri Lanka to safeguard all citizens’ fundamental rights.
asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs if his Department have received representations from Amnesty International concerning violation of human rights against the minority Tamils in Sri Lanka and if he will make a statement on the matter.
5.
Comment on this
asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs if he is aware of the discrimination against the minority Tamils in Sri Lanka and if he will make a statement on the matter.
Comment on this
I propose to take Questions Nos. 4 and 5 together.
The Government have been following closely the situation in Sri Lanka especially since the serious outbreak of communal violence in July 1983. The Ten made representations to Sri Lanka in the wake of these events and expressed concern that the authorities there should ensure that the fundamental rights of all Sri Lankan citizens be equally safeguarded.
In the view of the Government the problems facing Sri Lanka are a complex mixture of socio-economic, cultural, ethnic and historical factors which can be resolved only by the Sri Lankans themselves. In this regard we fully support the efforts of the Indian Government to bring the parties to the dispute to fruitful negotiations. In the normal course of events my Department receive Amnesty International's views on human rights issues including those in Sri Lanka.