Sould other countries follow Canada’s lead in boycotting Sri Lanka summit?

It's a little unusual for Canada to take a stand alone on international policy, but that's exactly what Stephen Harper has done by choosing to boycott next month's Commonwealth summit in Sri Lanka.

"Canada is deeply concerned about the situation in Sri Lanka. The absence of accountability for the serious violations of human rights and international humanitarian standards during and after the civil war is unacceptable," Harper said in a statement.

Since Sri Lanka ended its civil war in 2009, the United Nations has chided President Mahinda Rajapaksa for his treatment of minorities in that country, particularly the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam.

[ Full story: PM to boycott Commonwealth meeting over human rights concerns ]

According to a statement by Human Rights Watch: "Since 2009 the government has been responsible for a worsening human rights situation that includes clampdowns on basic freedoms, threats and attacks against civil society, and actions against the judiciary and other institutions, imperiling Sri Lanka’s democracy."

Despite this, Canada is the only one of the Commonwealth's 53 members to refuse the invitation.

"You do not make new friends by rubbishing your old friends or abandoning your old friends," said Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott.

The NDP supports Harper's boycott, and asks that he go a further step by asking that Sri Lanka be removed from the Commonwealth.

“If they wanted to send a stronger message they could have moved to remove Sri Lanka from the Commonwealth until there are concrete improvements on human rights,” NDP ethics critic Paul Dewar told the Globe and Mail.

So we ask you: Should other countries follow Canada's lead and boycott next month's Commonwealth summit?

Have your say in the comments area below.