Lanka may lose trade benefits for human rights abuses

An European Union (EU) investigation has found that Sri Lanka has breached international human rights laws and was likely to lose more than $ 100 million worth export concessions from European countries, reports Sutirtho Patranobis.

An European Union (EU) investigation has found that Sri Lanka has breached international human rights laws and was likely to lose more than $ 100 million worth export concessions from European countries.

HT Image

On Monday, the EU published the findings of the yearlong investigation that alleged human rights violations in the war between the Sri Lankan government and the separatist LTTE. Government forces finally defeated the LTTE in May.

“The report comes to the conclusion that Sri Lanka is in breach of its commitments. We will now prepare for a legal proposal to remove the additional trade preferences which may enter into force mid-next year,” a Reuters news report from Brussels quoted an EU’s executive Commission spokesperson as having said.

Reuters added that Brussels consistently warned Sri Lanka that it must meet 27 international human rights conventions to retain its Generalised System of Preference Plus trade scheme.