UPDATE: No base in reports that US want regime change in Sri Lanka

There’s no base in reports that the US government wants a regime change in Sri Lanka while the US wants to maintain long-term relationship with Sri Lanka, the visiting US Assistant Secretary, Robert Blake stated.

 

Following a meeting with the External Affairs Minister, Prof G.L. Peiris, Mr. Blake speaking at a Media conference in Colombo, added that the US wished to express their support to the government of Sri Lanka in the recovery process following the devastating civil war and said that the US wished to maintain a long term relationship with Sri Lanka.

He further stated today that Velupillai Prabhakaran and Osama Bin Laden were two of the world’s most dangerous terrorist leaders.

 

When questioned on why the UN wants to take action against the SL army for killing Prabhakaran while the US President Barrack Obama praised US soldiers for the killing of Bin Laden, Blake stated that the US did not want the Sri Lankan military to be brought before the law.

 

 

Statement by U.S. Assistant Secretary of State Robert O. Blake

Colombo, Sri Lanka
May 4, 2011

It is a pleasure to return to Colombo and see so many old friends.  I have had a series of productive meetings with Defense Secretary Rajapaksa and External Affairs Minister G.L. Peiris, members of the opposition, and representatives of civil society.

I also had the chance yesterday to visit Kilinochchi and Mullaitivu for the first time.  Both of those places were still under LTTE rule during my tenure as Ambassador, so I was particularly heartened to see the progress and development that has occurred there, and the results of some U.S. assistance programs.

I had the chance to hear of the progress of demining programs we are funding in Kilinochchi and to meet with students who are now back in school as a result of the demining.  I participated in a ceremony in Kilinochchi where we distributed 4,000 water pumps to formerly displaced families.  Those pumps will help over 17,000 families earn a living on their farms.  

In Mullaitivu, I met aspiring fishermen and women who received thousands of baby fish known as fingerlings donated by the U.S. government that will help provide new sources of jobs for the people of the north.  

In my official meetings today, I assured the Sri Lankan government that the U.S. is committed to a strong long term partnership with Sri Lanka and that reports of our alleged support for “regime change” have no basis whatsoever.   I expressed support for the government’s efforts to recover from its devastating civil war, and encouraged further steps towards reconciliation, and a peaceful, united, democratic Sri Lanka.  

I think the government has made some positive progress.   It is very important that this progress be sustained.  For example:

•         The Lessons Learnt and Reconciliation Commission is playing an important role in the reconciliation process.   The Commission has heard testimony from Sri Lankans from all regions and ethnic backgrounds.  

•         It has provided a forum for individuals to bring injustices to light and to express the personal tragedy and hardship created by the war.   We hope that the LLRC will also address accountability and will offer recommendations on how to redress wrongs committed by both sides during the conflict.     

•         Nearly all of the 300,000 IDPs have been resettled from the camps with the remaining scheduled to be resettled by the end of 2011, if not sooner.

•         The military, with assistance from several international demining organizations, and support from the U.S. government, has cleared over 5 million square meters of mine-infested land throughout the northern provinces of Sri Lanka.  Completion of demining in Mullaitivu will allow most of the remaining IDPs to be resettled. 

•         The Sri Lankan Government has reduced the number of high security zones, further helping Sri Lankans affected by the conflict to return to their homes and livelihoods.

•         The government and Tamil National Alliance have conducted several rounds of talks with another round scheduled on May 12.  I expressed our hope that these talks can result in a comprehensive agreement that can help Sri Lanka heal the wounds of war and ensure that all Sri Lankans enjoy equal rights and a future of hope and opportunity.  

 
I am encouraged that External Affairs Minister Peiris will communicate soon with the UN Secretary General and by his statement that Sri Lanka wants cordial relations with the Secretary General and his team. 

The UN report underscores the importance of a durable political solution that can forge a prosperous, democratic and united Sri Lanka, but also the importance of dialogue between the UN and the Government of Sri Lanka.   

 
Finally, I accepted the congratulations of the Government for the death of Osama Bin Laden.  His defeat is a victory for the United States and for all human beings who seek to live in peace, security, and dignity.  His demise will ultimately make the world a safer place.

Q&A Transcript:

QUESTION: Now that the UN panel report is out, can you say what the U.S. opinion is with respect to accountability and have you discussed that with the government of Sri Lanka?

 

ASSISTANT SECRETARY BLAKE: The United States has continually expressed to the Government of Sri Lanka the importance of implementing a credible and independent process to ensure accountability. Domestic authorities have responsibility to ensure that those responsible for violations of international humanitarian law are held accountable. International mechanisms can become appropriate in cases where states are either unable or unwilling to meet their obligations.

 

QUESTION: There were reports that when U.S. troops shot Osama Bin Laden he was unarmed and there was some controversy over that issue. The UN Human Rights Commissioner has also raised the issue and asked the United States Government to explain the circumstances in which he was shot, and other groups like the I.C.J. (International Crisis Group) and Amnesty International are expected to take up this issue. Do you think that as the country leading the campaign against terrorism, this kind of action can undermine the whole operation?

 

ASSISTANT SECRETARY BLAKE: I’ve been traveling in Sri Lanka for the last couple of days, so I’m unaware of the specific allegations that you make. But let me just say as a general proposition that Osama bin Laden was the leader of an armed group that was engaged in armed conflict against the United States. He was therefore a lawful target under the laws of armed conflict. So we certainly stand by our actions and we believe that his death represents a very important step forward in our fight and in the international fight against al-Qaida and terrorism.

 

QUESTION: Would you say at this point the United States would propose a domestic mechanism to use for accountability first before moving on to an international one? And I have a small question about the Maldives.

 

ASSISTANT SECRETARY BLAKE: As I said earlier, we look first to host governments, in this case the Government of Sri Lanka, to take responsibility for these issues, and we hope they will do so.

 

QUESTION: On the Maldives, you just traveled back from there. What is the American perception of the situation at the moment? Is it strictly an old fight between old rivals or is it really a genuine attempt to replicate the Middle East and North Africa style unrest?

 

ASSISTANT SECRETARY BLAKE: I wouldn’t go that far. I would say that it’s incumbent on both sides to try to work together in the Maldives to achieve progress on the many important issues that still divide them. Right now I think the most important issue is that of how to address the mounting budget deficit there and the policy measures that the government has taken. As I said in my press conference in Maldives, the government has laid out a series of steps with the advice of the International Monetary Fund. If the opposition opposes those steps, then it’s incumbent upon them to divulge what their own plan would be and then to engage in good faith negotiations with the government to ensure that that plan is passed.

 

So again, I want to underscore the importance of both sides working together. It is very important to achieve agreement on this b