Aus calls for progress on human rights in Lanka ahead of CHOGM

Australia, the present Commmonwealth chairman, today asked Sri Lanka to make progress on human rights issues and reconciliation ahead of CHOGM scheduled to be held here later this year, but refused to boycott the key summit despite international pressure.
Australia remains the only leading Commonwealth nation so far to publicly announce its participation in the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) in November.
"We made it very clear that we want to see progress, it is important that they fulfil their own obligations," Australian Minister for Immigration and Citizenship Brendan O'Connor told reporters at the end of a two-day visit to the island nation.

He was replying to a question about Canberra's view on Lanka's human rights accountability amidst international pressure to change the venue from Hambantota in Sri Lanka on account of charges of rights abuses, which include the alleged indiscriminate killing of Tamil civilians by army during the civil war in 2009.
"The only way that can happen is through the implementation of the recommendations of the Lessons Learnt and Reconciliation Commission (LLRC)," he added.
"We made it clear for Sri Lanka's future prosperity and stability it is important to see everybody is included. We would like to see continued progress to that end, as we head towards time when CHOGM is held," O'Connor said.

Canada has already declared it will not attend the biennial event while Britain is yet to announce its decision.

Australia, however, wants to maintain its relations with Lanka at a time it is seeking to stop the continuous flows of asylum seekers from the island.
Bob Carr, the Australian foreign minister announced last week that it would be counter productive to isolate Sri Lanka internationally and his country would participate in CHOGM despite demands to the contrary.
Meanwhile, the Commonwealth Ministerial Action Group has also decided to go ahead with the 54-nation event as scheduled from November 15-17 in Sri Lanka.

The LLRC had called for a political settlement of the ethnic conflict with the Tamils and asked the government to take the initiative for "a serious and structured" dialogue with all political parties, particularly those representing the minorities.