Tommy Broughan (Dublin North East, Labour)
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Question 43: To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs his views on the position in Sri Lanka. [31738/09]

Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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As I have stated on many occasions in this House, I am deeply concerned about the situation in Sri Lanka. The immediate priority is still the welfare of the 280,000 or so Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) currently being held in IDP camps in the north of the country. There is urgent need for unimpeded access by humanitarian agencies; for IDPs to be facilitated in returning to their homes as soon as possible; for missing IDPs to be accounted for and reunited with their families; for reconstruction to get underway; and for a process of dialogue and reconciliation to address the underlying causes of the conflict to be initiated.

Responding to the serious humanitarian crisis in the affected areas, Irish Aid has provided funding of €308,000 for emergency response through NGO partners, including emergency medical and nutrition support, the provision of shelter, and distribution of food and non-food items. In addition, a member of Irish Aid's Rapid Response Corps was deployed to Sri Lanka to assist in the emergency response effort of the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR).

More broadly, I remain concerned also by continuing serious shortcomings with regard to freedom of expression in Sri Lanka. I was greatly taken aback by the severe sentence of 20 years hard labour in prison imposed by the Colombo High Court on journalist Mr J.S. Tissainayagam on 31 August. Together with our partners in the EU, we have called on the Sri Lankan authorities to ensure that Mr Tissainayagam is afforded full access to medical care. The expulsion of the UNICEF spokesperson, Mr James Elder, earlier this month appears to confirm a hardening attitude on the part of the Sri Lankan Government where criticism directed against it is concerned.

On the political side, I believe that an independent review should consider the allegations of serious breaches of international humanitarian law in the course of the conflict, including intensive shelling by Government forces in areas in which significant numbers of civilians were trapped, the use of civilians as human shields by the LTTE and the forced conscription of civilians and children into LTTE units.

EU Foreign Ministers meeting on 18 May reiterated the need for all parties to respect fully their obligations under international humanitarian and human rights law and called for the alleged violations of these laws to be investigated through an independent inquiry. Regrettably, although the EU succeeded in securing the convening of a Special Session of the UN Human Rights Council on the situation in Sri Lanka in Geneva on 26/27 May, at which Ireland made a strong statement on the need for an investigation, EU efforts to have a Resolution passed which would endorse a call for an inquiry into breaches of international law were unsuccessful.

In this connection, the situation in Sri Lanka will be discussed at the next General Affairs and External Relations Council meeting in October. We will discuss how best to engage the Government of Sri Lanka in a meaningful dialogue and how the EU can further support the humanitarian situation, reconstruction and the initiation of political dialogue and an inclusive process of political reconciliation with the Tamil minority. This must be based on the principles of parity of esteem, consent, equality, the rule of law and respect for human rights.