08 January 2013 - "We expect the Sri Lankan Government to demonstrate that they uphold the values of the Commonwealth", UK Under-Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs Hon. Alistair Burt today told the British Parliament. "A decision on the location of CHOGM is not for the UK; it is for the Commonwealth. The meeting will discuss many issues, not just Sri Lanka, but as Sri Lanka well knows it will inevitably shine a spotlight on the host country, demonstrating either its progress or lack of it. It is up to Sri Lanka to choose what will be seen"

Hon. Siobhain McDonagh, Labour MP for (Mitcham and Morden) opened the debate in the House of Commons. Members of Parliament in the debate urged the British Government to get a bit tougher with the Sri Lankan Government. "It would be wrong for Britain to attend the Commonwealth summit in Sri Lanka unless there is a dramatic change in the situation on the ground. We have a responsibility to ensure that the international community’s failures in Sri Lanka are addressed. Accountability and reconciliation must take place", they emphasised.

Parliament.uk, 15 November 2012 - The report concludes that continuing evidence of serious human rights abuses in Sri Lanka shows that the Commonwealth’s decision to hold the 2013 Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in Colombo was “wrong”. The Committee urges the Prime Minister to state publicly his unwillingness to attend the Colombo meeting unless he receives “convincing and independently-verified evidence of substantial and sustainable improvements in human and political rights in Sri Lanka.”

22 February 2012 - "We are aware that the US is preparing a draft resolution for the Human Rights Council, and we are likely to support it", UK Under-Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs Mr. Alistair Burt told parliament today in his reply to the Westminster Hall debate on Human Rights in Sri Lanka. "We will work with the Sri Lankan Government on the implementation of LLRC and other human rights recommendations to deliver what they have declared they will deliver. We will work with international partners—Commonwealth and others—to urge action in areas where adherence to Commonwealth or human rights values is still lacking. We are conscious of the power of international bodies, such as the Human Rights Council and CHOGM, to apply pressure and to encourage the raising of standards. We are also conscious of time scales. Our activity will be both public and private, and I will regularly update colleagues. No one should doubt that there is still much to do in Sri Lanka, and no one should doubt that the UK Government recognise that", he said.

By Robert Halfon, MP for Harlow, 22 February 2012 - Today there was a major debate in Westminster Hall. With many other backbench Conservative MPs, I urged the Government to speak out against the persecution of Tamils in Sri Lanka. We must make it very clear to the Government of Sri Lanka that they cannot continue to act like a rogue nation. Enough is enough. Clearly the Tamil Tigers were highly dangerous, but they are no longer a threat. And yet persecution continues. The excuse of “security” must not be used as a cover to wipe out the inheritance of the Tamil-speaking minority.

Freedom from Torture, 18 February 2012 - Between January 2010 and September 2011, Freedom from Torture received 170 referrals for Sri Lankans in the UK requiring medico-legal reports documenting physical and psychological evidence of torture inflicted in Sri Lanka. We welcome this Westminster Hall debate and hope MPs will seize this opportunity to pressure the Governmen.

Foreign & Commonwealth Office, 12 January 2012 - Alistair Burt, Minister with responsibility for Sri Lanka, informs the House of the Government's views on the Sri Lankan Lessons Learnt and Reconciliation Commission's Report.

UK Parliament - Hose of Lords, 5th October 2011 - Lord Wallace of Saltaire: My Lords, the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in 2009 decided that Sri Lanka should host in 2013. We, together with other Commonwealth members, urge Sri Lanka, as host, to demonstrate its commitment to upholding the Commonwealth values of human rights, good governance and the rule of law. A key part of that will be to address long-standing issues about accountability and reconciliation after the recent conflict. We have made that clear, and we expect to see progress by the end of the year. I am aware that the Canadian Prime Minister has been reported as saying that Canada will not go. I have looked carefully at what he said, and he actually said that if there was not an improvement, it was unlikely that he would go. We all have to be concerned that at this stage with doing everything we can to ensure that the process of reconciliation within Sri Lanka continues to move forward.

18 september 2011 - Hon William Hague MP, First Secretary of State and Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs gave evidence to the Commons Foreign Affairs Committee on Wednesday 7 September 2011, as part of its inquiry into "Developments in UK foreign policy".

UK Parliament TV:
http://www.parliamentlive.tv/Main/Player.aspx?meetingId=8969

15 September 2011 - UK Parliament on Wednesday debated for two and half hours a backbench motion on "Human Rights on the Indian Subcontinent". A large number of members took part in this debate. Transcript from UK House of Commons Hansard record: