High ranking US envoys to visit SL

Two high-ranking US envoys will visit Sri Lanka early next month to assess the impact of US sanctions on Iran, and to also raise sensitive human rights issues ahead of the crucial United Nations Human Rights Council sessions in Geneva, late February.

Luke Bronin, Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Treasury, will arrive on February 2 to discuss how US sanctions will affect the Sri Lankan financial system with government officials while Stephen J. Rapp, Ambassador-at-Large for War Crimes Issues is due on February 5.

Plantations Minister and Special Envoy for Human Rights Mahinda Samarasinghe said that he was yet to be officially informed of Rapp’s visit and that no meeting had been fixed with the US envoy.

A spokesperson for the US Embassy, when asked for details about Rapp’s visit to Colombo said, “We are still working on his schedule”.

Ambassador Rapp is the head of the State Department Office of Global Criminal Justice.  According to the US State Department website, Ambassador Rapp’s Office “advises the Secretary of State and Under Secretary for Civilian Security, Democracy and Human Rights and formulates U.S. policy on prevention and accountability for mass atrocities. It also works closely with other governments, international institutions, and non-government organizations to establish and assist international and domestic commissions, courts and tribunals to investigate, judge, and deter atrocity crimes in every region of the globe.”

The State Department website further states, “The Ambassador-at-Large coordinates the deployment of a range of diplomatic, legal, economic, military, and intelligence tools to help expose the truth, judge those responsible, protect and assist victims, enable reconciliation, and build the rule of law.”

 

Four top U.S. government officials recently concluded separate visits to the country and had discussions with government officials, political and business leaders, and members of civil society.

 

Ambassador James A. Larocco from the Near East South Asia Center for Strategic Studies at the U.S. Department of Defence National Defence University was in Sri Lanka and Maldives from January 15-19. 

Ms. Holly Vineyard, Deputy Assistant Secretary for Africa, the Middle East, and South Asia at the U.S. Department of Commerce visited the country from January 17-19.

Dr. Alyssa Ayres, Deputy Assistant Secretary for South and Central Asia at the U.S. Department of State visited Sri Lanka and Maldives from January 18-24.
 
Mr. Thomas O. Melia, Deputy Assistant Secretary for the Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights and Labor at the U.S. Department of State was in the country from January 20-26, 2012. (Ayesha Zuhair)