USA in Sri Lanka

"To bring unity and peace to the island, the Government and people of Sri Lanka must now undertake the difficult process of reconciliation and reconstruction."
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By Robert Blake

(December 9, Colombo, Sri Lanka Guardian)It’s a real pleasure for me to be back in Sri Lanka and to see many friends and colleagues. I’d like to begin with a brief statement and then I’d be happy to take some questions.

It’s been over six months since I left Sri Lanka as Ambassador and began my duties in Washington as Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asian Affairs. I left Sri Lanka only days after Government forces captured the last remaining territory held by the LTTE. The defeat of the LTTE has created a tremendous opportunity for the people of Sri Lanka. For the first time in over a generation, Sri Lankans live in a country that is not divided by war or marred by terror and violence.

To bring unity and peace to the island, the Government and people of Sri Lanka must now undertake the difficult process of reconciliation and reconstruction. The United States welcomes the recent progress by the Government of Sri Lanka to return a majority of these Sri Lankans displaced by the war to their homes and allow increased freedom of movement to those still in the camps.

I visited Manik Farm yesterday morning and saw evidence of this progress. I was pleased to see that those living in the camps have greater freedom to come and go. I also visited some returnees in the Mannar area and witnessed some of the ongoing demining activity, where again progress is being made.

I met with President Rajapaksa and Foreign Minister Bogollogama, and I have also met with other political leaders during my visit. Everyone agrees that there is still a tremendous amount of work to be done. Large areas of the North remain heavily mined and reconstruction of infrastructure is at its beginning stages. The United States stands ready to continue our assistance in these areas. We have already contributed approximately $6.6 million for demining activities in the North. We will continue our support for demining and are working with the Government of Sri Lanka to identify how and where our resources can be most effective.

In all my meetings with Government and non-governmental leaders, I expressed my country’s hope that the Government and opposition will work together to develop a consensus on power-sharing arrangements that can be implemented to ensure that all Sri Lankans can participate fully in the democratic process and that democracy can be restored in northern Sri Lanka, so Tamils can enjoy a future of hope, dignity, and opportunity.

Next month, you will decide who will be your next president. It is an historic election for your country. For the first time in decades, a united Sri Lanka will vote in a national election. The United States does not take sides in elections in other countries, except to express our strong support for a free and fair democratic process. I am confident relations between the United States and Sri Lanka will grow no matter which candidate is victorious. The United States is still Sri Lanka’s most important trade partner, receiving over one quarter of Sri Lanka’s total exports, more than any other single nation. In areas such as education, science, and culture, as well, our bilateral relationship has benefitted people in both of our countries.

An important element of reconciliation is safeguarding and protecting the rights of all Sri Lankans. In practice, this means that journalists should be able to write their perspectives and report on events freely, without fear of reprisal; that individuals should be able voice their differences openly; and that people who have violated the rights of others should be held accountable for their actions.

In closing, I shall continue to work toward a stronger and closer partnership between the United States and Sri Lanka. Ambassador Butenis – who is in the United States to attend a conference for U.S. Ambassadors – is a strong voice for enhancing and deepening ties between our two nations. She and I firmly believe that our relationship will develop and grow in the months and years to come, as Sri Lanka makes progress on the priorities I outlined above.

-Sri Lanka Guardian