LONDON, Jan. 12 (UPI) -- The British government said it believes the main reason for ethnic conflict in Sri Lanka is because the government there isn't addressing Tamil grievances.
Human rights groups accuse the Tamil Tiger rebel group and the Sri Lankan government of violations of the laws of war during the 25-year conflict. Thousands of people were killed in 2009 when government forces defeated Tamil rebels.
Alistair Burt, the British foreign minister overseeing developments in the region, said London believed the "root cause" of ethnic conflict in Sri Lanka is the inability of successive governments to address grievances expressed by the Tamil people.
Burt said he welcomed calls from a commission on the Sri Lankan conflict that recommended further investigation into the 2009 events.
"But we note that many credible allegations of violations of international humanitarian law and human rights law, including from (last year's) U.N. Panel of Experts report, are either not addressed or only partially answered," he said.
He said reconciliation in Sri Lanka is an objective the British government values.
"It can be achieved through an honest acknowledgement of the past and processes, in which all parties take part, to ensure justice, reconciliation and political progress," he said.
