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Video: US not contemplating economic sanctions

01 Feb 2014 - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

The United States said today that it does not contemplate economic sanctions although a third resolution will be brought against Sri Lanka, owing to the ‘lack of progress on accountability and the deteriorating Human Rights situation in country’.

Addressing a packed media briefing, Nisha Desai Biswal – US Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asian Affairs reiterated that the international community was ‘losing its patience’.

Answering questions posed by journalists to the effect that if the resolution would call for an international investigation, Biswal declined to be precise.

“It is too early to determine the text of the resolution, I will say that while our strong preference has always been for a Sri Lankan process to unfold I have very clearly noted that lack of progress in Sri Lanka has led to frustration and a great deal of skepticism in my government and in the international community and as I have said patience is wearing this. So I cannot tell at this point what would be in that resolution but our hope has always been that this would be a Sri Lankan national process,” she said.

Making a shift from the war to post war issues in Sri Lanka, Biswal said the international community was concerned about the ‘deteriorating situation in Human Rights, the rule of Law and the rise in corruption’.

“We are concerned about the worsening situation with respect to Human Rights including continued attacks against religious minorities as well as the weakening of the rule of law and increase in the levels of corruption and impunity. All of these factors lead to undermine the proud tradition of democracy in Sri Lanka,” she said in her opening statement.

Responding to questions on the issue she further said “Churches and mosques are burned down where people feel they cannot practice their faith without fear,. I believe that the concerns of the international community are justifiable.”

In her opening remarks as well as during the Q and A session that followed, the composed Biswal didn’t veil that the United States was ‘ frustrated’ at the pace in which ‘progress was being made’ in Sri Lanka.

“Five years at the end of the conflict meaningful steps on reconciliation are yet to be taken . The government has asked for space but when that space is not used to effectively to pursue peace, justice and accountability it draws concern of the international community,” she said. (Hafeel Farisz)

Video by Sanath Desmond

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Video: US not contemplating economic sanctions

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