Finnish Green League MP Bella Forsgrén has called on Helsinki to use a newly signed memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Sri Lanka to press Colombo on accountability for wartime human rights violations against Tamils.
Finland and Sri Lanka signed the MoU in Helsinki on 25 February 2026, establishing a political consultation mechanism aimed at strengthening bilateral engagement. Forsgrén submitted a formal written question to the Speaker of the Finnish Parliament, calling on the government to ensure the agreement is used to advance Finland’s human-rights-based foreign policy.
In her submission, Forsgrén said the Sri Lankan state had “systematically denied” Eelam Tamils the right to self-determination since 1948 and had repeatedly failed to cooperate with international accountability mechanisms. She cited Colombo’s continued refusal to implement UN Human Rights Council resolution 51/1, which Finland and the European Union supported during Finland’s recent term on the Council.
She pointed to documentation by international bodies of war crimes, attacks on civilians, forced displacement, massacres and sexual violence committed by state forces during the armed conflict, noting that tens of thousands of Tamils remain disappeared.
Forsgrén argued that the National People’s Power government had maintained Sri Lanka’s longstanding position of rejecting international accountability and continued to resist meaningful cooperation with the UN.
Addressing Foreign Minister Elina Valtonen directly, she asked: “How does Finland intend to use the political consultation mechanism between Finland and Sri Lanka to ensure progress in the investigation of human rights violations against Tamils and war crimes committed during the Sri Lankan civil war?”
Under Finnish parliamentary procedure, Valtonen must provide a formal response within 21 days. The submission was first reported by Tamil Guardian.
