The British High Commission in Colombo expressed its confidence that the Sri Lankan authorities would bring to book those responsible for the killing of a British national in Tangalle on Sunday. “This is a very serious incident which we are extremely concerned about,” acting British High Commissioner Robbie Bulloch told Daily Mirror yesterday.
“We have been in close touch with the Ministry of External Affairs in this regard and they have assured us of a swift and thorough investigation into the incident. It is important that the Sri Lankan government does all it can to bring the perpetrators of this crime to justice and we are confident that the perpetrators will be held to account,” he said.
“We have informed the family in the UK about the incident and are providing consular assistance. We look forward to swift judicial proceedings so that justice will prevail,” Bulloch said.
When asked whether the killing would have an adverse impact on British tourist arrivals to Sri Lanka, Bulloch replied in the negative. “It is unlikely that a single, isolated incident of this nature would discourage British tourists from coming to Sri Lanka. But at the same time it is important that the government takes prompt action on this matter so that tourists will feel reassured about their safety and security in Sri Lanka ,” he said.
Asked whether the British High Commission was monitoring the condition of the murder victim’s Russian girlfriend who was also seriously injured in the attack, Bulloch said, “We are very interested in her recovery and progress but consular responsibility lies with the Russian Embassy as she is a Russian national,” he said.
Kuram Shaikah Zaman, a 27-year-old Briton of Israeli descent, died after being shot and stabbed at a tourist resort in Tangalle following an argument in the early hours of Sunday.
Source: Daily Mirror, December 28, 2011
