UK Labour Party manifesto pledges to protect human rights of SL minorities

The election manifesto of United Kingdom’s Labour Party has featured Sri Lanka and promised the protection of human rights of Tamil and Muslim populations in the island nation.

The Labour Party’s manifesto, aimed at securing the victory of UK’s general election in December, was launched two days ago. Many foreign media had tagged the manifesto as ‘radical’ and ‘ambitious’.

The Labour Party has made a pledge that, if elected, it will “work through the UN and the Commonwealth to insist on the protection of human rights for Sri Lanka’s minority Tamil and Muslim populations.”

Highlighting the prevailing human rights issues around the world, the Labour Party also vowed to “suspend the sale of arms to Saudi Arabia for use in Yemen and to Israel for arms used in violation of the human rights of Palestinian civilians.”

The manifesto also took an undertaking to reform the international rules-based order to secure justice and accountability for breaches of human rights and international law, such as the bombing of hospitals in Syria, the illegal blockade of the Gaza Strip, the use of rape as a weapon of war against the Rohingya community in Myanmar and the indiscriminate bombardment of civilians in Yemen.

A future Labour Government intends to appoint human-rights advisers to work across the Foreign Office and government to prioritise a co-ordinated approach to human rights and to advocate for human rights at every bilateral diplomatic meeting.