Under pressure from HR groups, Scotland Yard stops training Sri Lanka Police

For human rights outfits based in the West and supported by various Sri Lankan diaspora groups, this week's decision by Scotland Yard not to extend its training contract with Sri Lanka’s Police, following allegations of human rights abuses came as a small victory for their years-long advocacy.

Scotland Yard is a metonym for the headquarters building of the Metropolitan Police, the territorial Police force responsible for policing the 32 boroughs of London.

Scotland Yard's Head, Chief Constable Iain Livingstone said the contract which was due to expire next March, would not be extended considering the human rights abuse records of Sri Lanka and indicated a review was required to assess the situation in that country.

The decision was the outcome of years-long advocacy work of various outfits. The latest attempt was a collective letter sent by a group of British MPs and Members of the Scottish Parliament to the British High Commission in Colombo to stop the funding of this training programme through UK taxpayer's money. Because there was supporting documentation of allegations of Police brutality and extrajudicial killings in custody.

After this, the attention of those organisations turned towards Australia to step up the pressure from Australian authorities to stop ongoing assistance to Sri Lanka Police.