Sri Lanka

Speech by Liz Lynne on Thu 18th May 2006

Mr President, we all hoped that the talks held in Geneva in February involving the Sri Lankan Government and the LTTE might have been the beginning of a road towards peace, only for the Tamil Tigers, as we all know, to pull out of the second round of the negotiations. We all, of course, urged them to return to the negotiating table - I say all of us, but if we ban them they will not be able to do that - because a political solution is the only hope. Already LTTE delegations to EU Member States will not be received.

The Council, as I have said, is considering listing the LTTE as a terrorist organisation. Surely it can see that will probably happen if there is any more violence and it will just be isolated even further. Negotiation is the only way forward, but negotiation should involve all groups, including other Tamil organisations - peaceful Tamil organisations, such as the Tamil United Liberation Front, for instance.

The Government must also play its part and it is certainly not blameless in this. Both sides have violated the ceasefire. Both sides have, I believe, committed gross violations of human rights. I call on the Sri Lankan Government, for instance, to investigate fully and to prosecute cases of extra-judicial killing. It says it is investigating, but I want a full investigation. I want it to reinstate the Human Rights Commission. On the other hand, I want the Tamil Tigers to cease their violence completely, stop using child soldiers and return the child soldiers they are using to their families. Only if all parties show restraint that will we prevent further violence, otherwise it is the ordinary citizens, yet again, who will suffer.