UK parliamentary delegation will not meet President - External Affairs Ministry
Wednesday, 24 July 2013 00:47
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External Affairs Ministry said yesterday that a British parliamentary delegation visiting the island currently will not get to meet the President as a member of the delegation has remarked to the media prior to their arrival in the country.
The Ministry issued a statement to the media in response to remarks made by the British Labor Party MP for Rochdale, Simon Danczuk to UK media that he will raise his concerns over the delay in the murder investigation of the British tourist, Khuram Shaikh in Tangalle in December 2011 when he meets the President later this week. The Ministry said the UK MP’s remarks to the media about an unscheduled meeting with the President were totally inappropriate as the Sri Lankan government was committed to punish the perpetrators of the crime.
“For any visiting delegate below the level of a Head of State or Government, a meeting with the President would be a privilege, as it would not be in keeping with accepted diplomatic protocol and is unthinkable in Western countries. Hence talking to the media about the issues that he will raise with the Head of State even before such a meeting is scheduled is totally inappropriate,” the Daily Mirror quoted the Ministry statement.
The MP has accused the Sri Lankan government of trying to cover up the murder of Shaikh, a 32-year-old Red Cross aid worker from Rochdale, and brutal attack on his girlfriend on the Christmas Eve of 2011 at a resort in Tangalle since a ruling party politician who is a close friend of President’s son is the chief suspect.
The British MP talks of “concerns of a cover-up” with regard to the murder, which is a prejudgment of a case that is still pending in Courts. The Government has condemned the murder of Khuram Shaikh and stated its commitment to punish the perpetrators and the process is underway. In such a context the statement by Mr. Danczuk is pure speculation. During a previous visit of the MP with the brother of Khuram Shaikh, he met the CID, which is leading the investigation as well as the Justice Ministry Secretary,” the Ministry explained.
According to the Ministry statement the delegation will meet Speaker Chamal Rajapaksa and Ministers G.L. Peiris, Nimal Siripala de Silva and Basil Rajapaksa while Mr. Danczuk will have a separate meeting with Justice Minister Rauf Hakeem.
The delegation will also meet the Leader of the Opposition, members of the Sri Lanka-UK Parliamentary Friendship Group and Secretary Defence, the Ministry said.
