US acts hypocritical- SL



The government today said that any dictation by the US government towards Sri Lanka’s internal issues was contravening to the principles of democracy propagated by the US.

Responding to the possibility of aid from the United States being banned, in the event of a failure by the government to show “accountability” over the incidents in 2009, Government Spokesperson Keheliya Rambukwella said, “If the US was to bring about a ban of this nature, then it would be against the same principles of democracy that they teach; this issue of accountability has to be discussed then unilaterally.”

A US congressional committee voted to ban aid to Sri Lanka unless the nation shows "accountability" over the bloodshed in the final stages of its civil war in 2009.

In a voice vote, the House Foreign Affairs Committee approved a measure that would ban all US government funding to Sri Lanka except for humanitarian aid, demining and activities to promote democracy and governance.

Minister Rambukwella said that the government claimed that the issue of accountability had been discussed extensively in sufficient local forums.

“We have discussed the issues of accountability in local forums extensively and that is sufficient, there is nothing more to be discussed and debated on this “accountability”,” Minister of Mass Media and Government Spokesperson Keheliya Rambukwella said yesterday. 

Commenting on the call by senior US state department official that Sri Lanka should stop paramilitary activities that continue to operate in the north the Minister said that the government had already taken steps to correct this situation.

“We have also put our foot down on these various groups operating in the north. It must be understood that we had a gun culture, in that area, for thirty years—therefore there are various robberies and threats taking place with the use of weaponry,” he said. (Dianne Silva)



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