The confirmation of a welcome at the 2014 Commonwealth Games for Sri Lanka's team and representatives of its government is itself to be welcomed.

The UK Government says next year's sporting festival in Glasgow will be a further opportunity to shine a spotlight on alleged atrocities carried out during the country's decades-long civil war, and in particular crimes claimed to have been committed against civilians by both sides on the north coast in recent years.

The promise to highlight the issue echoes the argument used by Prime Minister David Cameron when he attended the recent Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting which was boycotted by several other leaders.

The oft-heard argument that sport and politics are separate and one should not be allowed to affect the other is fatuous. Sport can be political, like any other issue, and in some cases those involved must take a stance.

But it is reasonable to argue that sport can also be an indirect means to engage with regimes we find distasteful or to put pressure on those countries which are causing concern to the international community.

That appears to be the consensus on the best approach to the Sochi Winter Olympics in Russia, where legislation on "homosexual propaganda" has been widely interpreted as cover for a crackdown on gay rights.

Looking further ahead, the 2022 World Cup in Qatar has also been the focus of concerns about illiberal laws on homosexuality. But gay players and fans attending such events may have more impact than any participants pulling out.

By attending the summit in Sri Lanka, Mr Cameron did raise the profile of concerns about the country, with arguably more success than those leaders who chose not to go.

He met with the Sri Lankan president Mahinda Rajapaksa, and reported that robust exchanges of views had taken place.

The jury is out on the impact of his decision, however, after the Sri Lankan leader very publicly defied his request for an investigation into alleged human rights abuses and appeared to place his faith in an internal inquiry instead.

But the UK Prime Minister may accept he is playing a long game. Yesterday's comments about the Commonwealth Games almost presuppose that will have to be the case. For Mr Cameron has demanded credible, transparent, independent investigations into alleged war crimes by March. If this does not happen, he says he will press the UN Human Rights Council to hold an international inquiry. Yet if Mr Cameron was confident of a timely response from Mr Rajapaksa, why would there still be a need to highlight the issue in July?

By describing a First World War memorial church service, to be attended after the Games by Commonwealth leaders, as another chance to shine a light on the issue, the Government is probably overstating its case.

But it is reasonable to assume there will still be a need for pressure by next summer and Mr Cameron's stance is justifiable. Dialogue is always preferable to silence.