Bob Carr (NSW, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Foreign Affairs) Share this | Hansard source

We have consistently made representations to the government of Sri Lanka on human rights. We make no apologies for that and we make no apologies for a policy of engagement rather than isolation of the government of Sri Lanka to achieve the implementation of the human rights agenda that that government has set itself.

Most recently, we co-sponsored the Resolution on Promoting Reconciliation and Accountability in Sri Lanka in the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva on 21 March. Australia was a co-sponsor of that resolution. When I met President Rajapaksa in December, I raised the importance as Australia sees it of the government of Sri Lanka delivering on its own committed benchmarks spelt out in the Lessons Learnt and Reconciliation Commission report. We will continue to engage the government of Sri Lanka about the importance of reconciling and settling the issues after a 3½-decade-long civil war.

I want to emphasise that that civil war was traumatic for the people of Sri Lanka. There is not one narrative that explains the civil war. It is a safe assumption that atrocities were committed by both sides in that civil war. Australia will continue whenever we meet, at foreign minister level, at the level of the President and in meetings with other ministers, to raise our concern about human rights in that country.

I am not aware of the land acquisition policy. I am happy to get advice from our high commission in Colombo. Our high commission, I might add, has a record of pressing these issues at every opportunity with the government in Colombo. Again, that is a legitimate concern. I commend the government of Sri Lanka on taking a responsible approach on the illegal people-smuggling activities— (Time expired)