Opposition UNP Leader Ranil Wickremesinghe has asked Britain to ensure that South Sudan recognise the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Sri Lanka before it is given full membership of the Commonwealth, a statement issued by the Opposition leader’s office states.
According to the statement, Mr. Wickremesinghe had met British Deputy Foreign and Commonwealth Secretary Alistair Burt and asked him to inform the leaders of the world’s newest nation, South Sudan, that the people of the north of Sri Lanka had participated in recent elections and accepted the sovereignty of the country.
When South Sudan became a new nation a fortnight ago, after a successful secession struggle with Sudan, a lawyer from New York heading the self-styled Transnational Government of Tamil Eelam (TGTE), V. Rudrakumar was present at their first Independence Day celebrations.
Britain is one of the key Commonwealth member nations which are sponsoring South Sudan’s membership to the 54-member Commonwealth, which brings together countries that were once part of the British Empire.
Mr. Wickremesinghe who is currently in London to attend the annual Commonwealth Parliamentary Association meeting also told Mr. Burt that the Sri Lanka government was in discussion with the Tamil National Alliance to take forward the 13th Amendment of the Constitution that followed the indo-Lanka Agreement.
The statement added that Mr. Wickremesinghe told Mr. Burt that the UNP supports a political settlement in Sri Lanka that will be in accordance with the democratic wishes of the people of all communities and urged the government to work with opposition parties towards this end.