Commons Sense

House of Commons · Ministers' Questions

Sri Lanka: Human Rights

Tuesday 8 November 2022 · 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

  • Elliot Colburn inquired about assurances that economic support for Sri Lanka would be contingent on progress in implementing UN resolutions.
  • Elliot Colburn questioned the measures the UK is taking to address human rights concerns in Sri Lanka.
  • Jim Shannon asked if the Minister would ensure that issues of human rights, including those of Christians, are addressed in any deals with Sri Lanka.

Topics (select to filter)

Questions & Answers

Q1 Elliot Colburn
Foreign Affairs
Context

The question arises from the need to address ongoing human rights abuses in Sri Lanka, particularly regarding Tamils. The MP has chairpersonship of an all-party parliamentary group on Tamils and has heard from concerned constituents.

Question

What diplomatic steps is he taking to help address human rights concerns in Sri Lanka? I am clear that the economic situation in Sri Lanka allows human rights abuses against Tamils to continue, welcome UK's efforts in UN for peace, accountability, justice but what assurances can my right hon. Friend give me that any economic support given will be dependent on progress implementing UN resolutions?

Answer from Anne-Marie Trevelyan

The UK works with international partners, including at the Paris Club, to facilitate economic support for Sri Lanka through an IMF programme. The IMF can only impose conditionality linked to economic policy or tackling balance of payments challenges; it cannot impose political or human rights-linked conditionality.

Partly answered

Not addressed: Specific assurances that any economic support will be contingent on progress in implementing the UN resolutions were not given

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Q2 Elliot Colburn
Foreign Affairs
Context

The MP, as the chair of an all-party parliamentary group on Tamils, is concerned about ongoing economic challenges in Sri Lanka that enable further human rights abuses against Tamils. The UK has been active in the UN to address these issues.

Question

Welcoming UK's efforts in the UN for peace, accountability and justice, what assurances can my right hon. Friend give me that any economic support given will be dependent on—and expected to come with—progress implementing the UN resolutions?

Answer from Anne-Marie Trevelyan

The UK works with international partners, including at the Paris Club, to facilitate economic support for Sri Lanka through an IMF programme. The IMF can only impose conditionality linked to economic policy or tackling balance of payments challenges; it cannot impose political or human rights-linked conditionality.

Partly answered

Not addressed: Specific assurances that any economic support will be contingent on progress in implementing the UN resolutions were not given

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Q3 Jim Shannon DUP Strangford
Standards & Ethics Religion & Faith
Context

There is a concern that suppression of human rights often correlates with the persecution of Christians and other faiths. The question addresses whether these issues are considered in any deals made with Sri Lanka.

Question

Very often, the suppression of human rights walks hand in hand with the persecution of Christians and those of other faiths; when human rights are suppressed, so too are Christians' rights to their beliefs. Within any deals that the Minister has with Sri Lanka, will she ensure that issues of human rights and the persecution of those with Christian beliefs and other beliefs are taken into consideration?

Answer from Anne-Marie Trevelyan

My noble Friend Lord Ahmad spoke with the Sri Lankan President and Prime Minister in August, continuing to highlight the importance of an inclusive approach for political stability and progress across issues.

Partly answered

Not addressed: Specific commitment to consider religious freedom concerns in dealings with Sri Lanka was not given

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