8/12/2019 PSNI Organised Meeting With Sri Lanka Military Adviser After Tamil Massacre

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PSNI organised meeting with Sri Lankamilitary adviser after Tamil massacreFOI request confirms talks but lawyers say no minutes exist of meeting as campaigners blast

'being kept in the dark'Duncan McCausland was called on to adise !ri "ankans# $hotograph% $& &rchie

Henry McDonald Ireland correspondentFriday ( &ugust )*+,

$olicein -orthern Irelandorganised a meeting between .ritish officials and a !ri"ankan military adiser a month after the massacre of tens of thousands of /amil

ciilians in !ri "anka it has emerged 0 but no minutes were taken about what wasdiscussed#/he -orthern Ireland $olicing .oard which scrutinises the running of the $olice!erice of -orthern Ireland has confirmed that it arranged the talks between theForeign Office and the !ri "ankan defence forces representatie with a iew to the$!-I becoming 1critical friends1 of the country's security forces#

2oernment lawyers hae confirmed in a freedom of information request that nominutes exist of the meeting at the policing board headquarters in .elfast on +( 3une)**4 shortly after !ri "anka's military allegedly killed tens of thousands of people in afinal offensie against the /amil /igers#5esearcher $hil Miller from the pressure group Corporate 6atch who submitted theFOI request told the 2uardian% 16e are being kept in the dark about what went on atthis .elfast meeting# Did .ritain raise any concerns about !ri "anka's massacres of/amils before it let the $!-I continue its role as 'critical friends' with Colombo71

/he FCO says the only information it holds on the )**4 meeting is a single sentencenoting that its official agreed in adance for the $!-I to offer further assistance to !ri"anka# /he $!-I officers continued to work with !ri "anka een after the 8-

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8/12/2019 PSNI Organised Meeting With Sri Lanka Military Adviser After Tamil Massacre

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concluded that at least 9**** /amil ciilians were killed in the final months of theconflict# :undreds of thousands of suriors were then interned in camps#

One of the $!-I officers called to gie adice to the !ri "ankans was the assistantchief constable Duncan McCausland# :e had preiously co;written a report for the

&mericans in Iraq adocating the creation of .elfast;style 1peace walls1 to separate

rial sectarian communities in .aghdad#

& policing board spokesman said countless oerseas delegations traelled to .elfastto discuss police;related issues with the $!-I# 1/he board regularly receied isits anddelegations from across the world to share the experiences of policing change in-orthern Ireland and lessons learnt in terms of independent oersight andaccountability for the $!-I#

1/he meeting on +( 3une )**4 was reported to the policing board meeting on ) 3uly)**4 as part of chairman's business and the minutes are published on the board'swebsite# !uch isits receied a standard presentation which coers the roles and

responsibilities of the board as the accountability authority of the $!-I and as suchminutes are not considered a necessity#1

?** !ri "ankan police officers including some seniorcommanders had receied training from the !cottish $olice College @!$CA since)**9#

$olicing in -orthern Ireland through the /roubles particularly towards its endgame inthe late +4(*s and early +44*s is studied as a template for counter;insurgencymethods across the world# Following the inasion of Iraq in )**> a number of formersenior 5oyal 8lster Constabulary officers were recruited to adise the post;!addamgoernment on how to police diided communities and build up an intelligence systemto counter terrorism#

58C !pecial .ranch eterans and other senior commanders were paid handsomelynot only for adising the Iraqi goernment about how to police the !unni;!hiacommunal schism on the streets but also on methods of agent recruitment withininsurgent groups#

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