The debate focuses on the withdrawal of Sri Lanka from UN Human Rights Council Resolution 30/1, highlighting the lack of progress in accountability for war crimes. It calls for an international, impartial and independent mechanism to investigate allegations of war crimes, secure evidence, identify perpetrators and prosecute those responsible. The resolution also emphasises the need to continue monitoring human rights in Sri Lanka and ensuring justice for victims and accountability for perpetrators.

The UK Government paved the way in addressing human rights abuses in Sri Lanka by pushing for UN resolutions to pursue accountability and reconciliation on the island. However, since then, Sri Lanka has withdrawn its support for these resolutions. Recent infringements include forced cremations of covid-19 victims regardless of religious beliefs, state surveillance culture increases, and the demolition of Tamil memorial monuments. The UK must demonstrate global leadership by supporting an international accountability mechanism to secure peace, justice, reconciliation, and accountability in Sri Lanka.

While acknowledging credible allegations of war crimes and crimes against humanity committed during the civil war, the current Sri Lankan Government have taken steps such as retaining and strengthening offices for missing persons and reparations. However, meaningful accountability has not been achieved. The UK should act as a critical friend to help strengthen democratic institutions in Sri Lanka, trusting it to develop its own judicial mechanisms. Since the end of the conflict, reconciliation has occurred between Sinhala, Tamil, and Muslim communities. Questions about addressing legacy tensions remain, including justice for victims and punishment for violators.

The debate wind-ups will begin no later than 3:21 pm with Anne McLaughlin having six minutes, Stephen Kinnock and Nigel Adams each having eight minutes, followed by a concluding two-minute speech from Siobhain McDonagh.

Ambihai Selvakumar, director of the International Centre for the Prevention of Genocide, was on hunger strike to highlight current injustices in Sri Lanka. The demands include referring Sri Lanka to the ICC, establishing an international investigative mechanism akin to those established for Syria and Myanmar, appointing a special rapporteur by UNHCHR, and conducting a UN-monitored referendum to determine Tamil aspirations in their traditional homeland.

Between 40,000 and 70,000 civilians were killed during the final months of the Sri Lankan conflict. Post-war, some 280,000 Tamils remained incarcerated in camps surrounded by barbed wire with no real accountability for enforced disappearances and other human rights abuses. The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights expressed deep concern at the situation in Sri Lanka due to early warning signs of a deteriorating human rights situation. Despite previous pledges to promote accountability, justice and reconciliation, successive Sri Lankan Governments have delayed or reneged on their promises. Now is the time for strong international action led by the UK to secure justice for the Tamil community and refer Sri Lanka to the International Criminal Court.

Human rights are under attack in Sri Lanka, with reports of appalling treatment of Muslim and Christian communities during covid and continuing human rights abuses against Tamil population. Domestic mechanisms for accountability have failed; an international mechanism is needed to examine allegations of genocide, war crimes and human rights abuses. The UK Government should work with international partners to ensure a proper independent investigative mechanism to establish what is happening in Sri Lanka, and look at Magnitsky-style sanctions against individuals involved in perpetrating human rights abuses.

Terrible crimes were committed during the conflict in Sri Lanka. Human rights abuses against Tamils persist, with a deeply worrying report highlighting militarisation of civilian governmental functions and political obstruction of accountability. Domestic initiatives to secure accountability for war crimes have failed; some of those implicated in war crimes have even been appointed to senior positions. More than 40 civil society institutions reported harassment and surveillance. The Prevention of Terrorism Act is still used to detain people years after promises were made to repeal it. The UK Government should use their Magnitsky sanctions regime to target men the UN believes are culpable for atrocities during the Sri Lankan civil war.

Mr Dhesi expresses gratitude to those who ensured this debate and highlights the importance of reconciliation, accountability and human rights in Sri Lanka. He notes that robust human rights institutions and legal frameworks have not been established since 2009, despite efforts at truth and reconciliation being unsatisfactory. Specifically addressing forced cremation practices imposed on religious minorities, including Muslims and Christians, Mr Dhesi underscores the importance of respecting universal human rights and ensuring accountability, justice, and reconciliation in Sri Lanka.

Mr Blackman congratulates Siobhain McDonagh on leading the debate and agrees with Mr Dhesi's remarks. He raises concerns about religious persecution against minority religions, including Muslims and Christians in Sri Lanka. Emphasising the importance of strengthening Human Rights Council resolutions, he urges the Minister to ensure that the Sri Lankan Government faces up to their responsibilities for ending religious persecution and protecting minority rights.

Mr Shannon congratulates Siobhain McDonagh on her commitment to the cause. He highlights severe violations of freedom of religion or belief in Sri Lanka, including harassment, assaults on clergy, and interruption of worship services targeting religious communities. Mr Shannon calls for accountability of perpetrators of violence against women and religious minorities, emphasising the need to protect all religious groups equally under the law.

The SPEAKER congratulates not only the hon. Member for Mitcham and Morden but a collection of near neighbours to the north on securing this debate about Sri Lanka's racial strife and its impact on Tamils in particular. He emphasises that the civil war left many relatives lost and surviving family members fearing for their safety, especially under the continued pressure on Tamil communities. The SPEAKER welcomes the UK’s move to lead a UNHRC resolution which would provide a framework for international engagement on human rights and post-conflict accountability in Sri Lanka. He calls on the Government of Sri Lanka to investigate and prosecute all allegations of gross human rights violations and serious violations of international law, highlighting concerns about the protection of Tamils.

The SPEAKER thanks his hon. Friend for securing this debate which is important to people in Ilford. He outlines the deterioration of human rights situation since 2019 with widespread reports of torture and oppression, antagonistic behaviour such as memorial demolitions at Jaffna University and appointments of military officials to authoritative positions. He expresses concern about recent constitutional amendments seen as challenges to democratic governance and undermining judicial independence. The SPEAKER urges the Government to publish an overseas security and justice assistance assessment for UK financial support activities in Sri Lanka. He emphasises that Labour is committed to defending human rights across the world, criticising the possibility of trade deals with Governments who commit abuses. He calls for Magnitsky sanctions against Sri Lankan officials found complicit in serious human rights abuses.

I congratulate the hon. Member for Mitcham and Morden on securing this debate and on her work in raising this matter both in this Chamber and in Westminster Hall debates. It is a pleasure to be able to take part... In recent weeks and months, we have heard the Foreign Secretary talk about the need for the UNHCR to restore its reputation to make sure that it acts on human rights violations... Out of every great conflict and crisis that has happened throughout mankind, great new reforming bodies have come, and this should be no exception. I want to make two final points.

The seriousness and urgency of this debate cannot be overstated... The UK must not remain complicit in these grievous crimes. If our engagement is truly aimed at preventing further human rights violations, we must take real steps to remind the Sri Lankan Government that they cannot expect military engagement and support unless those human rights violations are addressed.

Like the right hon. Member for Chipping Barnet, this time last year, I was in Geneva, lobbying delegations and missions to the UN Human Rights Council about the need for firm action at UN level... Indeed, as we heard from my hon. Friend the Member for Mitcham and Morden, not only do we have a Government who have withdrawn from the commitments that Sri Lanka made to the international community, but we have back in power the same cast of characters who were responsible for perpetrating human rights abuses during the civil war.

I agree with my hon. Friend the Member for Ilford North (Wes Streeting): how many more times do we have to be here before we get firm action? I thank the hon. Members who secured this important debate, and I pay tribute to all my constituents and the community groups who have contacted me to express their views about the deteriorating situation in Sri Lanka. All of them, especially from the Tamil community, have impressed upon me the need for decisive international action merely to secure a peaceful and just future for the country. These next few days in the run-up to the UN Human Rights Council meeting on Monday are critical to securing a meaningful international intervention that could lead to that better future. That is why I support the call in this debate for urgent action from the highest levels of our Government, in particular the Prime Minister and the Foreign Secretary, to ensure that the resolution is strengthened for Monday and also that the vote is overwhelmingly carried. I urge the Government to draw upon the full range of our diplomatic relationships, especially with our friends in the Commonwealth countries in Africa and Asia. Many of us have been shocked but not surprised at the latest report in January on the situation in Sri Lanka from the UN Commissioner for Human Rights. It sets out straightforwardly the litany of concerns that our own constituents have drawn to our attention: the failure of the Sri Lankan Government to address past human rights violations; the closing down of the space for independent voices; the intimidation of civil society alongside a deepening attitude of acting with impunity within the Government; a visible and increased militarisation of the civil Administration; and, yes, the rise of ethno-nationalism and hate speech—there clearly has been a concerted and targeted attack on the rights of Tamil and Muslim communities. I repeat what others have said: the seriousness of these issues means that the UK Government must throw their full diplomatic weight behind the strengthening of the United Nations Council resolution and make sure that we follow it through to implementation.

It is an honour to speak in this debate about a situation that should concern all of us, and I congratulate my hon. Friend the Member for Mitcham and Morden (Siobhain McDonagh) on leading it. I have been contacted by a number of my constituents for whom the pain and suffering caused by the civil war in Sri Lanka and the persecution of the Tamil community is still very real. Many of us have been contacted about the hunger strike currently being undertaken by Mrs Selvakumar. The fact that Mrs Selvakumar feels that this is the only way to get her voice heard is deeply saddening. The move away from the UN Human Rights Council resolution in the past year by the Government of Sri Lanka is very troubling, and the ongoing human rights issues in that country must be a priority for our Government as they focus foreign policy on the Indo-Pacific region. The 30-year civil war between the Sri Lankan Government and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam saw continuous and terrible human rights abuses by both parties. When the war ended in 2009, it was hoped that finally Sri Lanka might find peace and the chance to reconcile and heal the divisions that had beset the country since independence. But progress has been slow and halting at best, and since the Sri Lankan Government removed themselves as a co-sponsor from the UNHRC resolution, there have been increasing concerns about their commitment to peace and justice.

I warmly welcome this debate. The resolution to be voted on next week comes at a crucial time. It should make a reference to the International Criminal Court, as my hon. Friend the Member for Mitcham and Morden (Siobhain McDonagh) argued so powerfully in opening the debate. The evidence-gathering element is crucial to maintain material for the international accountability which Sri Lanka has resisted for so long but which must come in due course. I welcome the proposed commitment to regular report-backs on the conditions in Sri Lanka. As others have reminded the House, we now have a UK mechanism for sanctions against those guilty of human rights atrocities; will we sanction those who are guilty in Sri Lanka? The US has rightly designated army commander Shavendra Silva, who has been mentioned already and led the ground assault on the beaches of Mullivaikkal at the end of the civil war, attacking civilians, hospitals, medical staff and no-fire zones; will we now do so too? Kamal Gunaratne, who is now Defence Secretary, led a February 2009 assault, attacking civilian hospitals and food distribution points. He commanded the Joseph army camp, which was notorious for torture after the war. The UN has named him; will we sanction him? Why on earth do we have a resident defence adviser in Colombo, providing training and legitimacy? He has met at least five people who have been credibly accused of mass atrocities. Surely that adviser must now be withdrawn.

Sri Lanka is a dangerous country for Tamil, Muslim and Sinhalese human rights activists. The Tamil community in my constituency demands that Britain uses its powers to hold accountable those implicated in serious human rights abuses and back the call for Sri Lanka to be referred to the International Criminal Court. There should also be Magnitsky sanctions against Shavendra Silva and Kamal Gunaratne, as recommended by Michelle Bachelet.

Sri Lanka has failed to make progress on accountability since the end of the civil war. The UK Government must step up its commitment to reconciliation, accountability and human rights in Sri Lanka. Trade benefits should be withdrawn until Sri Lanka meets certain conditions, including repealing the Prevention of Terrorism Act and stopping training their army until they satisfy the agreed-upon human rights conditions.

Congratulates the hon. Member for Mitcham and Morden on securing this debate, pays tribute to other Labour MPs who contributed. Stresses the importance of upholding international human rights laws in Sri Lanka. Highlights atrocities committed during the civil war, including civilian deaths, sexual violence and extrajudicial executions. Condemns Gotabaya Rajapaksa's policies, such as militarising his government and withdrawing from UN Human Rights Council resolution 30/1. Questions the draft resolution's lack of universal or extraterritorial jurisdiction, evidence-gathering mechanism, ICC referrals, prevention measures, and report timeline. Criticises the Government for not sanctioning Sri Lankan officials under the global human rights sanctions regime and for the defence adviser's engagement with accused military commanders. Asks if a trade deal is being pursued and whether conditions will be applied based on human rights obligations. Questions Police Scotland deployments to Sri Lanka and Sri Lankan soldiers' participation in UN peacekeeping missions.

The Minister for Africa, Asia and the UN responded to concerns raised about Sri Lanka’s human rights situation, emphasising that it is a priority for the UK Government. He noted that there have been setbacks on accountability in Sri Lanka, including the appointment of military figures accused of war crimes into government positions. The UK has led efforts at the UN Human Rights Council and supports a new draft resolution aiming to provide a framework for international engagement.

The hon. Member for Mitcham and Morden urged the Government to take strong action in response to human rights abuses in Sri Lanka, particularly concerning war crimes and discrimination against Tamil and Muslim communities. She called for a new substantive resolution at the upcoming Human Rights Council session and stressed that it is crucial for the UK to provide leadership in ensuring justice and accountability.