LONDON, March 8 (UPI) -- British concerns over the escalation of the ongoing conflict in Sri Lanka is mounting.
In a meeting with Sri Lanka's foreign minister Rohitha Bogollagama Monday, British Foreign Secretary Margaret Beckett said violence came with too high a price for all the people of Sri Lanka."
"I stressed that there can be no military solution alone to the conflict," Beckett said.
The Sri Lankan government and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam, known also as the Tamil Tigers, have been in an unending crisis for many years.
The civilian population, the secretary added, has suffered greatly. She reaffirmed the Britain's commitment to peace in Sri Lanka and expressed the government's willingness to assist Sri Lankans "find a peaceful solution to the current crisis."
She said she looked forward to the proposed publication of a peace offer which meets the legitimate aspirations of all Sri Lanka's Ethnic groups.
Beckett welcomed the country's decision to address pending human rights issues in the region through the establishment of a President's Commission and of the Eminent Person's Group.
"Human rights abuses do nothing but damage Sri Lanka's image in the eyes of the world. We look forward to maintaining a dialogue on human rights with the Government of Sri Lanka," Beckett said.
