Saturday, 19th July 2014
British Labour Party MP Simon Danczuk, who had campaigned hard for justice for murdered international aid worker Khuram Shaikh, and even made several visits to Sri Lanka to press the Sri Lankan government to bring the perpetrators to justice, said yesterday that the judgment in the case would be a turning point for Sri Lanka where tourists visiting the island nation would feel safer.
Speaking to the Daily Mirror, Danczuk, parliamentarian for Rochdale, the constituency of Khuram’s family, said that the 20 years RI jail term on four murder convicts of Khuram sends a powerful message across Sri Lanka. “This was an appalling case and the fact that a prominent politician has today been jailed sends a powerful message across Sri Lanka,” he said adding “We hope it signifies a turning point where tourists will start to feel safer and know that the law will not tolerate violent attacks by anyone on anyone," the MP said, highlighting the importance of the judgment.
"We're pleased that the Sri Lankan authorities have delivered a guilty verdict and Khuram's killers are now behind bars. Khuram was an inspirational figure who was respected all around the world and he did not deserve to die in such a cowardly attack,” the MP said. For Rochdale’s MP Simon Danczuk, the judgment is the culmination of a more than two-year campaign with Khuram’s family that has seen him visit Sri Lanka to meet ministers, raise the issue in Parliament and lobby the British Prime Minister to raise Khuram’s case directly with the Sri Lankan President.
In a letter British Prime Minister, David Cameron told Danczuk that he had raised Khuram’s case “very directly” when he met with President Rajapaksa at last November’s Commonwealth Heads of Government meeting in Colombo.
From : http://epaper.dailymirror.lk/epaper/viewer.aspx
