Sri Lanka eyes UK elections as Labour, Conservative parties court Tamil votes

Sri Lanka closely monitors vote bank politics in the run-up to UK elections targeting the votes of the Sri Lankan-origin Tamil community since both Labour Party and Conservative Party have vowed to press for truth, reconciliation and accountability in Sri Lanka over the alleged rights violations during the wartime in Sri Lanka, Daily Mirror learns.  

Keir Starmer, the leader of the Labour Party which is projected to win the elections in the UK this time, previously spoke of his party’s commitment to stand for the rights of Tamils in Sri Lanka. His video footage issued two years back in this regard is widely shared on social media platforms by interested parties these days.   

 In the video message issued in view of what is called the Victory Day by the Sri Lankan authorities and the Mullivaikkal Remembrance Day by Tami rights advocates, Mr. Starmer said it is a day for reflection on truth, reconciliation and accountability in Sri Lanka. He said perpetrators of crimes had not been brought to justice.   

“Labour Party re-commits justice to the families of those who died and the survivors who suffered such grave crimes,” he said in a video message once released. He even urged the UK government to heed the recommendations of the UN Human Rights Commissioner and refer the cases to be heard by the International Criminal Court (ICC).   

Besides, Foreign Secretary of the UK David Cameron, in his video message issued one month ago, said the UK remains committed to the truth, justice and reconciliation in Sri Lanka. He recalled his visit to the north of Sri Lanka as the then British Prime Minister and saw for himself what he called devastating consequences of the conflict. He underscored how his Conservative Party had promised in the manifesto to redouble efforts to make diplomatic breakthroughs in Sri Lanka.   

Sri Lankan High Commission in London keeps a close tab on developments related to the Sri Lankan issue during the election campaign. The UK is the prime mover of the current UNHRC resolution on Sri Lanka, which provided for the establishment of an international mechanism to probe allegations into happenings during the wartime.   

The general election is to elect Members of Parliament - or MPs - to the House of Commons. The UK is divided into 650 areas, called constituencies, each of which elects one MP to represent local residents. Conservative Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and Keir Starmer have faced off in their debates, but both appear common over the Sri Lankan Tamil issue.