• UK PM has offered support  through multilateral organisations such as the World Bank and IMF

By Sunil Jayasiri  

Britain said that the current ‘very challenging economic  situation’ in Sri Lanka should not distract efforts to improve human  rights there.   

UK’s Parliamentary Under-Secretary Foreign, Commonwealth  and Development Office Vicky Ford informed the UK Parliament on Tuesday  that although the articles of the IMF do allow for conditionality linked  to economic policy or to tackle the balance of payments, there is no  provision to impose political-linked or human rights-linked  conditionality in the IMF process. 

Therefore, “we will work with fellow  members of international debt forums on a solution to the country’s debt  problem, as well as continuing to lobby the Sri Lankan Government and  working in other international forums on human rights,” she said in a  written response to a question.