Questions on Sri Lanka posed during a session of British Parliament
British Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, Mr. Alistair Burt, responded to questions on Sri Lanka on Tuesday, 14 September, 2010, in the British Parliament.
Lee Scott: Will my hon. Friend take up with the high commissioner the issue of why, in my role as the chairman of the all-party Tamils group, I am receiving reports that people who have returned to their homes are still being intimidated, singled out for abuse and are not being treated with the respect that they should be given? Can this issue please be raised with the high commissioner?
Alistair Burt: The number of internally displaced people who have been returned has grown significantly since the end of the conflict, but we remain concerned about reports of abuses of freedom, lack of freedom of expression and continued problems in the north. These issues are raised quite regularly with the Sri Lanka Government and the high commissioner, and the next time I see him, I will certainly make sure that my hon. Friend’s concerns are pressed