Britain will take this step, amid a diplomatic row between the two countries over the conduct of the military campaign against the Tamil Tigers.
Britain will block Sri Lanka’s bid to host the next Commonwealth summit amid a diplomatic row between the two countries over the conduct of the military campaign against the Tamil Tigers, a news report said today.
British prime minister Gordon Brown left for Trinidad today as The Times reported that he plans to tell the current summit opening today in Trinidad that Sri Lanka should not be considered to host the event in 2011.
"The prime minister has real concerns about Sri Lanka's bid," a Downing Street source said. The report quoted a senior diplomatic source as saying: We are clear that the UK will not support a Sri Lankan bid.
"Their conduct of their military campaign against the Tamil Tigers earlier this year - which had a massive impact on the civilian population - was rightly condemned around the world, including by very many people here in Britain," he said.
"We simply cannot be in a position where Sri Lanka - whose actions earlier this year had a huge impact on civilians, leading to thousands of displaced people without proper humanitarian access - is seen to be rewarded for its actions," the source was quoted as saying by the British daily.
After years of protracted offensive against the Tamil Tigers, the Lankan military defeated the LTTE in May this year. However, it had sparked a wave of sympathy in the UK among the Tamil diaspora for the civilians housed in the military camps.
UK and Sri Lanka were involved in a diplomatic row earlier this year as the British prime minister urged president Mahinda Rajapaksa to ensure suffering was minimised and that the UN had full access to those affected and displaced by the conflict.
According to the report, Brown has discussed the issue with commonwealth secretary general Kamalesh Sharma, as well as other leaders such as Kevin Rudd, the Australian prime minister. It will be discussed on the margins of the summit as leaders arrive in Trinidad.
The Commonwealth Heads of Government Meetings (CHOGM) brings together 53 members from four continents, representing almost a third of the world’s population and a fifth of all global trade. Brown had warned Sri Lanka that there "will be consequences for its actions".
"Sri Lanka stands on the brink. We have called repeatedly for the violence to cease. The humanitarian agencies must be granted access to civilians caught in the crossfire of a dreadful conflict. Sri Lanka must understand that there will be consequences for its actions," Brown had said in June.
According to the source, as the prime minister said "there must be consequences. And a clear consequence of what happened earlier this year is that we are not in a position to support a bid by Sri Lanka to host CHOGM".
"We want the next host to reflect the full range of Commonwealth values — and particularly respect for human rights. As it stands, 150,000 internally displaced persons remain in closed camps. We are urging the Sri Lankan government to allow them freedom of movement," the source said.
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
)
)
)
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}