US says patience ‘wearing thin’
By Ranga Jayasuriya- February 2, 2014
The United States yesterday warned that its patience is 'wearing thin' with the government in Colombo and that instead of improving, the human rights situation in the country has worsened, and the rule of law weakened in Sri Lanka.
But, visiting US Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asia, Nisha Desai Biswal, stopped short of committing Washington to an international war crime investigation.
Biswal told a media conference last night that she conveyed concerns to senior government officials about the insufficient progress in addressing justice, reconciliation and accountability. She said the US was concerned about the worsening human rights situation, including 'continued attacks against religious minorities, weakening rule of law and increase in the levels of corruption and impunity.'
The patience of her government and the international community is wearing thin with the pace of progress, including the implementation of the LLRC recommendations, she said.
She added the 'strong preference' of her government was for a Sri Lankan process to address justice and accountability in the country, but noted that the space that had been granted to Colombo had not aggressively been used.
"There is no sufficient action in justice and accountability," she said.
Asked whether the US would call for an international process, in the third resolution that it was planning to present at the UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC), she said it was too early to comment on the text. She said the US has strongly urged for a Sri Lankan process in the past, but noted that there is a growing frustration and scepticism within the international community with the pace of the local process. She noted that Sri Lanka has witnessed a culture of deterioration of human rights and specially referred to the recent attacks on churches and places of worship.
She, however, ruled out economic sanctions against Colombo and added that Washington was very much committed to seeing progress in Sri Lanka.
She said civil society activists and community leaders who met visiting foreign delegations had been subjected to intimidation, adding that Washington viewed it 'very seriously.'
The visiting US Assistant Secretary, who is on a three-day tour here, earlier met External Affairs, Economic Development, Justice Ministers and Defence Secretary Gotabhaya Rajapaksa. She also met with UNP and TNA leaders and civil society members in Jaffna and Colombo.
By Ranga Jayasuriya- February 2, 2014
The United States yesterday warned that its patience is 'wearing thin' with the government in Colombo and that instead of improving, the human rights situation in the country has worsened, and the rule of law weakened in Sri Lanka.But, visiting US Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asia, Nisha Desai Biswal, stopped short of committing Washington to an international war crime investigation.
Biswal told a media conference last night that she conveyed concerns to senior government officials about the insufficient progress in addressing justice, reconciliation and accountability. She said the US was concerned about the worsening human rights situation, including 'continued attacks against religious minorities, weakening rule of law and increase in the levels of corruption and impunity.'
The patience of her government and the international community is wearing thin with the pace of progress, including the implementation of the LLRC recommendations, she said.
She added the 'strong preference' of her government was for a Sri Lankan process to address justice and accountability in the country, but noted that the space that had been granted to Colombo had not aggressively been used.
"There is no sufficient action in justice and accountability," she said.
Asked whether the US would call for an international process, in the third resolution that it was planning to present at the UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC), she said it was too early to comment on the text. She said the US has strongly urged for a Sri Lankan process in the past, but noted that there is a growing frustration and scepticism within the international community with the pace of the local process. She noted that Sri Lanka has witnessed a culture of deterioration of human rights and specially referred to the recent attacks on churches and places of worship.
She, however, ruled out economic sanctions against Colombo and added that Washington was very much committed to seeing progress in Sri Lanka.
She said civil society activists and community leaders who met visiting foreign delegations had been subjected to intimidation, adding that Washington viewed it 'very seriously.'
The visiting US Assistant Secretary, who is on a three-day tour here, earlier met External Affairs, Economic Development, Justice Ministers and Defence Secretary Gotabhaya Rajapaksa. She also met with UNP and TNA leaders and civil society members in Jaffna and Colombo.
