The Hon. Vijitha Herath - Minister of Foreign Affairs, Foreign Employment and Tourism

¶ 01 Hon. Speaker, the answer to the question raised by the Hon. Ravi Karunanayake under Standing Order 27(2) on 09 January 2026 regarding travel bans imposed by the United Kingdom on some Sri Lankans is as follows:

¶ 02 1. Sri Lanka’s plural and democratic character is recognized by the Constitution. Article 1 declares Sri Lanka a Democratic Republic; Article 3 vests sovereignty in the People; Article 12 guarantees equality before the law and prohibits discrimination on grounds such as race, religion and language. Articles 18–22 recognize both Sinhala and Tamil as Official and National Languages. While Article 9 accords Buddhism the foremost place, Articles 10 and 14(1)(e) guarantee freedom of thought, conscience, religion and worship to all. Taken together, these affirm that all communities coexist as equal citizens within Sri Lanka’s constitutional framework.

¶ 03 2. An Inter-Ministerial Committee met and deliberated on the matter. The Cabinet has been verbally kept informed; no formal report has been submitted. The Committee was established to assist Cabinet deliberations, not to brief Parliament.

¶ 04 3. The UK measures are unilateral actions under UK domestic law, not binding on Sri Lanka under international law, unlike UN Security Council sanctions. Sri Lanka has no obligation to recognize, enforce or cooperate with them, nor to accept the underlying allegations. Legally binding decisions on criminal responsibility can only be made by Sri Lankan courts or by properly empowered international courts.

¶ 05 4. Under international law, Sri Lanka may object via diplomatic channels, upholding sovereignty and non-interference. Practically, international mechanisms are of limited use unless the sanctioned State agrees to be bound. The legal effect of UK sanctions applies only within the UK; wider impact is political rather than legal.

¶ 06 5. Please refer to the answer to question 5 for actions taken by the Ministry.

¶ 07 6. The Cabinet is fully apprised and the Government will take necessary measures to safeguard Sri Lanka’s sovereignty and territorial integrity. These are unilateral UK measures under their domestic law and do not legally bind Sri Lanka; we have publicly stated our disagreement with such measures. Following the UK’s 24 March 2025 announcement sanctioning four individuals, I met the British High Commissioner on 26 March 2025 and emphasized: - As a Government elected by all communities, we are building national reconciliation and unity, crucial in the current context. - The UK action is a barrier to this process. - We sought clarification on the timing and whether it was driven by UK domestic politics, noting the FCDO press release’s reference to an election commitment.

¶ 08 The Government of Sri Lanka issued a press release on 26 March 2025 underscoring that such unilateral action complicates, rather than assists, national reconciliation. I table the press release.

¶ 09 We reiterated that any past human rights violations should be addressed through strengthened domestic accountability and reconciliation mechanisms.

¶ 10 Unilateral sanctions were first imposed by the USA in February 2020 against General Shavendra Silva, then travel bans in December 2021 against former Presidents Mahinda Rajapaksa and Gotabaya Rajapaksa. Canada in January 2023 sanctioned the two former Presidents and two others. In December 2024, the USA sanctioned Udayanga Weeratunge and Kapila Chandrasena for corruption-related allegations. Therefore the UK action is not unprecedented and cannot be taken in isolation.

¶ 11 7. The Government does not condone unilateral sanctions by State or non-State actors against its citizens. We are not bound by such measures and have consistently maintained—even at the UNHRC in Geneva—that any allegations against members of the armed forces should be dealt with through domestic processes, which we are strengthening. We reject international accountability mechanisms including the external evidence-gathering mechanism established under UNHRC Resolution 51/1. Our foreign policy is clear: we do not recognize unilateral action taken outside recognized international legal frameworks.

¶ 12 Thank you.