13.1.2008
By Our Political Correspondent
The
Sri Lankan government’s decision to terminate the
often violated cease fire agreement will make a negotiated
settlement and lasting peace harder to achieve stated
United States Ambassador Robert Blake at the International
seminar on Human Rights held at Hotel Renuka Colombo on
January 11, 2008. Ambassador Blake also emphasized the
need for a deep respect for human rights in Sri Lanka.
He also added that because of our concerns about the escalating
conflict and significant human rights problems such as
forced disappearances, extra-judicial killings and challenges
to media freedom, the Millennium Challenge Corporation’s
Board of Directors decided in December not to select Sri
Lanka as a country eligible for a Millennium Challenge
Account compact in fiscal year 2008.
The
full text of Ambassador Robert Blake’s speech is
given below:
Professor
Fernando, Professor Orlin, Dr. Ismail, distinguished guests,
ladies, and gentlemen,
I
would like to commend Professor Ravindra Fernando, the
Centre for the Study of Human Rights, the Justice and
Peace Commission (India), the Human Rights Education Consortium
International (New York), and the Institute for Community
Organization Research (India) for organizing this event,
for your kind invitation to be your chief guest, and for
the opportunity to speak on a subject of great importance
to us all.
The
friendly relations between the United States and Sri Lanka
go back almost six decades. As Sri Lanka approaches the
60th anniversary of its independence, we want to build
upon those ties to help Sri Lanka achieve peace, strengthen
its democracy and promote economic prosperity so that
this beautiful country can realize the hopes and dreams
we share for it.
The
United States has been a steadfast supporter of Sri Lanka’s
efforts to stop the flow of arms and financing to the
LTTE, by providing law enforcement assistance, and by
providing training and equipment to help the Sri Lankan
military defend itself against the terrorist actions of
the LTTE. The ruthless murder of Minister of Nation Building
Dassanayake on January 8 was the most recent in a string
of assassinations by the LTTE.
While
every sovereign nation must defend its people, history
has shown that it is very difficult to defeat a terrorist
insurgency by military means alone. Only a peaceful political
solution, not a military one, offers a way out of the
current cycle of escalating violence. An effective military
strategy will only work if it is combined with a well-articulated
political strategy to address the grievances that give
rise to terrorism.
This
is why the United States was troubled by the Sri Lankan
Government’s decision to terminate the 2002 cease-fire
agreement. The cease-fire agreement, although often violated,
nonetheless provided a framework for negotiation and committed
the parties to seeking a negotiated settlement. The termination
of the agreement will make it more difficult to achieve
that negotiated settlement that can produce a lasting,
peaceful solution to Sri Lanka’s conflict.
An
equally important part of national reconciliation is respect
for human rights, the subject of today’s timely
conference. The United States has been a strong advocate
for human rights in Sri Lanka. We have seen that there
is a strong correlation between levels of conflict and
human rights abuses. Because of our concerns about the
escalating conflict and significant human rights problems
such as forced disappearances, extra-judicial killings
and challenges to media freedom, the Millennium Challenge
Corporation’s Board of Directors decided in December
not to select Sri Lanka as a country eligible for a Millennium
Challenge Account compact in fiscal year 2008.
Similarly,
President Bush signed into law last week the Foreign Appropriations
Act for the State Department that included a new prohibition
on defense export licenses for Sri Lanka, with the exception
of licenses for air and maritime surveillance and communications
equipment to help stop LTTE arms imports. This too reflected
Congressional and Administration concerns about Sri Lanka’s
continuing serious human rights problems and the lack
of progress in investigating and bringing to justice the
perpetrators of the most high profile human rights cases
of recent years.
An
additional concern is that the abrogation of the Ceasefire
Agreement and imminent withdrawal of the Sri Lanka Monitoring
Mission may cause a further deterioration in the human
rights situation in Sri Lanka. With the departure of the
SLMM and the inability of indigenous Sri Lankan human
rights institutions such as the Human Rights Commission
to address human rights challenges in Sri Lanka, the U.S.
has expressed its public support for the efforts of the
UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Louise Arbour to
expand the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights
in Sri Lanka.
The
United States is already working to assist Sri Lanka in
improving the human rights situation within the country.
For example, in 2007, military law professionals from
the U.S. Pacific Command, in partnership with the American
Embassy in Colombo, hosted a military law exchange program
with the Sri Lanka Ministry of Defense to exchange ideas
on ways to improve transparency, accountability, and human
rights in military justice. We are now developing follow-on
activities which will allow us to continue working together
to strengthen Sri Lanka’s military justice institutions
and further improve accountability in the military.
In
conclusion let me reiterate the high priority that the
United States hopes the Government of Sri Lanka will accord
to reducing significantly human rights violations in 2008
and our commitment to work with the Government and civil
society to achieve that goal. Such progress not only could
help the Administration make a case for renewed Sri Lankan
eligibility for funding from the Millennium Challenge
Corporation, but would also mark a major step in the process
of national reconciliation and peace-building.
Let
me again commend the organizers of today’s event.
Conferences such as this provide valuable opportunities
for sharing ideas, information, and best practices that
can help all of us achieve our shared goal.
Courtesy - Asian
Tribune