Govt. protest over Miliband’s decision to address Tamil Forum

The government summoned the acting High Commissioner for the United Kingdom Mark Gooding to lodge a strong protest over the decision taken by British Foreign Secretary David Miliband to address the Global Tamil Forum in London today.

Speaking to the Media, Minister of Foreign Affairs Rohitha Bogollagama said that government is thoroughly displeased over the statement made by the Foreign Secretary in the House of Commons stating that he would address the Forum. 

“The Global Tamil Forum is an umbrella organization of the most brutal terrorist organization that was eliminated in Sri Lanka and still remain in various forms around the world”, he said. 

“The provisional transnational government of Tamil Eelam which has been a part of the agenda of the Global Tamil Forum is a threat to the sovereignty, territorial integrity of Sri Lanka”, he said. 

Meanwhile the British High Commission defended British Foreign Secretary David Miliband stating that he would re-emphasize that a peaceful, political solution is the only way to produce a lasting answer to Sri Lanka's conflict at the Global Tamil Forum to be held today. 

‘‘In his speech to the Global Tamil Forum, the Foreign Secretary, David Miliband will re-emphasise that a peaceful, political solution is the only way to produce a lasting answer to Sri Lanka's conflict. It is for all Sri Lanka’s people to decide what that solution should look like”, the spokesperson to the High Commission said. 

“The UK will engage with all members of the Sri Lankan community who share this goal, whether overseas or in Sri Lanka. Foreign & Commonwealth Office officials regularly meet with members of the Sinhalese, Muslim and Tamil communities in the UK to discuss this and other developments in Sri Lanka”, the spokesperson stated.