Damien English (Meath West, Fine Gael)
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Question 118: To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs his views on the situation in Sri Lanka. [1856/09]

Kathleen Lynch (Cork North Central, Labour)
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Question 120: To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs if he will make a statement on the present prospects for a ceasefire between the Sri Lankan Government and the Tamil movement; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1954/09]

Pat Breen (Clare, Fine Gael)
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Question 763: To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs if his attention has been drawn to the increase in human rights abuses in Sri Lanka including a campaign of intimidation against the media which culminated in a recent murder (details supplied); if he will make representations to the Sri Lankan Government to ensure the protection of human rights and that the perpetrators of this and other acts of violence against the media are brought to justice for their crimes; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2327/09]

Pat Breen (Clare, Fine Gael)
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Question 764: To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs if his attention has been drawn to the fact that the government of Sri Lanka is pursuing an exclusively military strategy in its conflict to bring an end to the decades of violence in that country; if, in view of the fact that the problem in Sri Lanka is a political one to which there is no military solution he will join with his EU counterparts in an attempt to persuade the Government of Sri Lanka to establish a new peace process; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2328/09]

Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 118, 120, 763 and 764 together.

As I stated in reply to a Parliamentary Question on 16 December, I am deeply concerned by the escalation in fighting which has taken place in recent months in the northern part of Sri Lanka. Bilaterally, and with our EU partners, we have consistently sought to impress on both the Government of Sri Lanka and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) the importance of engaging in meaningful peace talks and stopping all violence and human rights violations. We deeply regret the termination of the 2002 Ceasefire Agreement between the Government of Sri Lanka and the LTTE last year. We continue to take the firm view that there can be no lasting military solution to Sri Lanka's political difficulties.

As one of the four co-chairs of the 2003 Tokyo Conference on the Reconstruction and Development of Sri Lanka, the EU has been anxious to maintain an active role in assisting the country to resolve its internal conflicts, work on national reconciliation and move forward on the development agenda. Following a meeting of the Co-Chairs of the Conference on 24 September last, the Presidency expressed again its concern in relation to human rights and the plight of civilian populations isolated by combat in the north of the country. It called on the parties involved to respect the fundamental principles of international humanitarian law and noted the obligation of the Sri Lankan Government to ensure protection of its civilians and to meet their needs.

However, over past months the military offensive against the LTTE has greatly escalated and there appears to be no prospect of a ceasefire. The Government has succeeded in re-capturing most of the territory previously under LTTE control and is determined to press ahead. The LTTE also appears to be determined to maintain its campaign. The effects of both the Government's and the LTTE's military campaigns on the local population are extremely serious. It is particularly worrying that the Government no longer publishes details of civilian casualties.

Also of major concern are the killings of, and attacks on, journalists and media figures critical of the Government, including the brutal murder of the respected journalist Mr Lesantha Wickramatunga on 8 January and the armed attack on the premises of the MTV television station. Although the President of Sri Lanka issued a strong statement condemning the murder of Mr Wickramatunga, no arrests have been made in connection with the killing nor indeed for any previous incident of intimidation against independent journalists. The EU Presidency and the EU Heads of Mission in Colombo have called on the authorities in Sri Lanka to investigate all acts of violence and intimidation against the media and to bring the perpetrators to justice.