Commons Sense

House of Commons · Ministers' Questions

UN Human Rights Council: Sri Lanka

Tuesday 19 January 2021 · 3 questions

Summarised by AI from the official record, so it can contain mistakes.

Read the full transcript on Parliament.uk

At a glance

Answered 0 Partly answered 3 Not answered 0

Key points

  • Wes Streeting asked about steps planned at the UN Human Rights Council in March 2021 regarding Sri Lanka's withdrawal from human rights obligations and forced cremations.
  • The UK is working with international partners and has discussed with the Sri Lankan Government on human rights and accountability.
  • Steps include sharing guidance and scientific background with Sri Lanka on how to ensure burials can safely continue under WHO guidelines.

Topics (select to filter)

Questions & Answers

Q1 Wes Streeting Lab Ilford North
Foreign Affairs
Context

Sri Lanka withdrew its support for resolution 30/1 and has been involved in forced cremations of people who died due to COVID-19. This raised concerns about the country's adherence to international human rights standards.

Question

What steps he plans to take at the UN Human Rights Council in March 2021 in response to Sri Lanka's withdrawal from its human rights obligations under resolution 30/1 and forced cremations of people who die from covid-19 in Sri Lanka?

Answer from Nigel Adams

We are disappointed at Sri Lanka's withdrawal of support for resolution 30/1; we made that clear in statements at the United Nations Human Rights Council in February, June and September 2020. We are working with international partners and have had discussions with the Sri Lankan Government on how to take this forward at the UNHRC in March. We are committed to the principles of the resolution, and our approach to Sri Lanka will be a priority for the UK at the HRC over the next few months.

Partly answered

Not addressed: Specific steps taken or planned for addressing forced cremations were not detailed.

How: Committed To Principles Of The Resolution

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Q2 Wes Streeting Lab Ilford North
Foreign Affairs
Context

Historical and ongoing human rights abuses in Sri Lanka have been a critical issue. Previous UK leaders showed strong commitment to addressing these issues.

Question

What specifically will the Foreign Secretary and the Prime Minister do as leaders of the core group ahead of that crucial UN Human Rights Council in Geneva in March to ensure that the perpetrators of human rights abuses in Sri Lanka do not go unpunished, and that we can look forward to a future based on truth, justice and reconciliation for all the peoples of Sri Lanka?

Answer from Nigel Adams

As I pointed out in my response, we are absolutely committed to the principles of the resolution. My ministerial colleague, Lord Ahmad, discussed human rights and accountability with the Sri Lankan Foreign Minister and the high commissioner in November and December respectively. We have spoken with Sri Lankan officials and with Geneva over the last week on these very issues.

Partly answered

Not addressed: Specific actions by the Foreign Secretary and Prime Minister were not detailed.

How: Committed To The Principles Of The Resolution

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Q3 Stephen Kinnock Lab Aberafan Maesteg
Foreign Affairs
Context

Sri Lankan Government withdrew from their Human Rights Council obligations and introduced a policy of forced cremation for COVID-19 victims, causing outrage among religious minorities.

Question

What steps has he taken to persuade the Sri Lankan Government to end forced cremations, what work is he doing with international partners ahead of the next Human Rights Council session in March to ensure that the Sri Lankan Government re-engages with the peace, reconciliation and accountability process, and what discussions has he had about human rights in the context of UK-Sri Lankan trade deal negotiations?

Answer from Nigel Adams

I thank the hon. Gentleman for his question and he is right to raise it. We have shared guidance and scientific background with the Government of Sri Lanka on how the UK has ensured that burials can continue to operate in a safe format within the World Health Organisation guidelines. We also discussed, via my colleague Lord Ahmad, the importance of minority rights with the Sri Lankan Foreign Minister in November. Our high commissioner to Sri Lanka has raised forced cremation several times with the Sri Lankans—most recently, just over a week ago. We continue to speak with Sri Lanka, and have done so within the last week, and with Geneva regarding its commitment to upholding this resolution.

Partly answered

Not addressed: Specific steps taken to persuade the government to end forced cremations were not detailed.

How: Shared Guidance And Scientific Background

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