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

(—) (15): The matter is all about accountability and about the implementation of the human rights benchmarks that the government of Sri Lanka has subscribed to itself. Last week I had an opportunity to speak directly to the Minister of External Affairs, Minister Peiris, who is visiting Australia. I, with our High Commissioner to Sri Lanka, Robyn Mudie, moved through an agenda that listed our continuing concerns. They involved the question of resettlement and land ownership in the north of the country. They involved full accountability for the offences committed by both sides during the period that the insurrection came to its conclusion. Australia, of course, co-sponsored resolutions on reconciliation and accountability in Sri Lanka in the UN Human Rights Council in 2012 and 2013. (Time expired)