David Cameron met Sri Lanka’s president, Mahinda Rajapaksa, for a one-to-one meeting on Friday afternoon, following his return from Jaffna, in the Indian Ocean island’s former conflict zone.
Channel 4 News understands that the encounter was “pretty lively”, and the 45 seconds’ worth of television footage that has been released is revealing.
The prime minister is shown leaving the meeting, brushing past Sri Lanka’s high commissioner to London, who tried to engage him in conversation, before pacing past the camera with pursed lips. There is a strong sense from the pictures of the meeting having been brusque, curt and frosty.
A source who was present at the bilateral said the British prime minister had “repeatedly and robustly” raised war crimes allegations, human rights and freedom of the press.
– See more at: http://blogs.channel4.com/miller-on-foreign-affairs/cameron-good-word-tackling-rajapaksa-human-rights/512#sthash.k3oE0KDn.dpuf
Source: Channel 4