Brown too meets GTF delegates

In a move that seemed like adding insult to injury British Prime Minister Gordon Brown met delegates of the Global Tamil Forum (GTF) which the Sri Lankan government termed as an LTTE umbrella organization.

According to a BBC report Brown met delegates of the Global Tamil Forum (GTF) conference in London.

 

Delivering the inaugural address of the GTF conference held at the British parliamentary complex on Wednesday the foreign secretary called upon the Sri Lankan government to make constitutional changes aimed at power sharing.

 

The Sri Lankan government protested against Foreign Secretary Miliband ‘s decision to address the Tamil diaspora gathering describing it as a pro LTTE organisation that poses a ‘direct threat to the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Sri Lanka’.

 

Minister Bogollagama told journalists in Colombo on Wednesday that Foreign Secretary Miliband’s participation in the conference lends ‘credibility to an organization which is propagating the separatist agenda of the LTTE’.

 

He said that the Deputy British High commissioner was summoned by the Foreign minister to protest against the Foreign Secretary.

 

In his address to the GTF conference Foreign Secretary Miliband who criticised the LTTE for resorting to violence and recruiting children, said that alleged war crimes during Sri Lanka’s war against Tamil Tigers should be investigated.

 

However, Minister Bogollagama said that the presence of David Milband in the conference would ‘slur the reputation of UK’s support to counter terrorism’.

 

In response, the British high commission in Colombo said that the only way to achieve lasting and equitable peace in Sri Lanka is through genuine national reconciliation.

 

“The UK will engage with all members of the Sri Lankan community who share this goal, whether overseas or in Sri Lanka,� it said.