Siobhain McDonagh
“if the attaché is allowed to leave without being questioned, that will undermine Britain’s proud reputation for not tolerating war criminals. If we are soft on Sri Lanka, other shady regimes will surely also begin to regard us as a refuge for people who commit atrocities.” the Labour Member of Parliament, Siobhain McDonagh for Mitcham and Morden said.
Yesterday, Thursday 19 April 2012, under Business Statement by the Leader of the House Sir George Young, a question was raised by the Labour Member of Parliament, Siobhain McDonagh on the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs’ decision not to declare Major General Prasanna Silva (Defence Attaché at the High Commission of Sri Lanka in London) persona non grata.
The full text of the question and answer could be found in the UK Parliamentary Hansard publication for 19 April 2012. The relevant web link is as follows:
The relevant video link is as follows:
http://www.parliamentlive.tv/Main/Player.aspx?meetingId=10602
The exact point of question will be at 2:25:25 on the timeline of the video which could be found at the bottom right corner.
Siobhain McDonagh (Mitcham and Morden) (Lab):
Three months ago a dossier about war crimes committed by the defence attaché at Sri Lanka’s high commission in London, Major General Prasanna De Silva, was sent to the Foreign Office. However, the Foreign Secretary has reportedly refused to strip him of diplomatic immunity so that he can be questioned about these terrible accusations. I hope we can have a debate about the case and about the abuse of diplomatic immunity, because if the attaché is allowed to leave without being questioned, that will undermine Britain’s proud reputation for not tolerating war criminals. If we are soft on Sri Lanka, other shady regimes will surely also begin to regard us as a refuge for people who commit atrocities.
I understand the hon. Lady’s concern. It is important that diplomatic immunity is not abused. There was an opportunity on Tuesday to raise this with the Foreign Secretary. I am not sure that it will be possible to raise it again before Prorogation, but I will ask the Foreign Secretary to drop her a line explaining what action he is taking in response to her concern about the continuing diplomatic immunity of the individual to whom she referred.
gamini / April 20, 2012
It is not an untruth that when Gordon Duff the Senior Editor of the Daily Telegraph said that the Zionists under Rupert Murdoch has virtually staged elections in the US, UK, EU and many other countries for the corrupt to lead and are being blackmailed and led on their agendas, how the British if they are so concerned about their proud reputation being undermined, allowed this War Criminal to be posted to UK as a Diplomat in the first place? Is it not a case of trying to compromise with the corrupt here for adavntages to be derived for them? What standards of British Gentleman today, from those of yore.
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Amal / April 21, 2012
We were not at the battle field and the UK parliamentarians too. How a soldier becomes a criminal without facts. There are more example of US soldiers so why it is not questioned in this parliament? UK afraid of US? or LTTE has paid lot for Siobhain McDonagh? Their accounts should be checked as well. This is the post terrorism. Terrorist have started the war in many other ways with the help of democracy. Isn’t it?
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NAK / April 22, 2012
what proud reputation? The reputation the Brits have,there is nothing to be proud of. One of the biggest admitted war criminals in the world today lives in britain. Don’t know where this proud reputation was shoved When his partner in crime also came to promote his war crimes account book in the UK.
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Chandrani / April 22, 2012
Judging by the CT overtones and the debate that descends down the rungs of the ladder with every progressing day, one would have to conclude that every soldier/ officer in a National Army is a war criminal and the LTTE were composed of the nine choirs of heavenly angels. Hello? how many countries were in Coalition against Iraq? Does that make all those officers and men in those armies war criminals too? LTTE paid lackeys in the British Parliament and those from Constituencies reliant on the Tamil votes for survival in politics always have and always will keep harping on this sort of issue but trust me in spite of all the harping and screeching nothing will come out of it.
The silly McDonagh is obviously not too familiar about the migration policy the UK has been following. She would not worry about reputations but freak and pass out if only she knows the radical characters of all hues and stripes from the numerous shady regimes who are now holed up in Britain. LOL
Let’s not bother too much about those standards, reputations, blah blah because we, as a country colonized by her wonderfully reputed compatriots know from history and experience about the purported high reputation of the British.
Prasanna Silva should initiate Defamatory Action against McDonagh for the wonderful hospitality being displayed to a serving foreign official by this gloriously reputed host government.
As long as there are arms and related products to be sold and commissions to be made, McDonagh will have to swallow that undermining, increase her tolerance levels and put up with a slide in British reputation, or so it appears.
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Chandrani / April 22, 2012
Hello CT, if you are going to keep my comments hanging on, then I am not interested. Please do cancel my comment. I will no longer comment or visit your website from now on.
Thanks and best regards – Chandrani
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Colombo Telegraph / April 23, 2012
@Chandrani, It’s wrong to say we are holding your comments, moderation takes time.
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gamini / April 22, 2012
There is no dispute that the LTTE resorted to hienous crimes in their quest to resolve their grivences when dialog failed for more than half a century. Even today the Political Leadership is looking for ways and means to avoid and delay addressing them. In such a scenario, where lies hope for such devastated, to live with dignity and equality, in a system that boasts of as a DEMOCRACY? If one is naive to believe that it empowers these war criminals to have committed the same as the LTTE to be absolved without inquiry of their crimes as shown on CH4 which was flatly denied as fabricated first, but now a Commission has been appointed after pressure being brought on, is pathetic to say the least. Yes the Angels will sing for thee.
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Observer / April 22, 2012
Good work by Siobhain McDonagh. Every time these issues are raised in high places, it helps to keep the pressure on Sri Lanka. If Rajapakse Ltd. thought war crimes will vanish into thin air with the passage of time, they thought wrong!
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