US ready to assist Sri Lanka achieve peace Against LTTE air attacks
- US Assistant Secretary of State 
[Thursday, May 10, 2007 - 16.30 GMT] 

The people of Sri Lanka were facing a difficult time. They need help for a better and safer life. One must find a path towards peace and stability in Sri Lanka, and the United States would assist Sri Lanka to achieve this, said Mr. Richard Boucher, US Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asia at a Press Conference held in Colombo today ( May 10).

Mr. Boucher had earlier met with President Mahinda Rajapaksa, Government and Opposition leaders, senior military officials and civil society leaders, as well as the ambassadors of the Co-Chair countries. He had also traveled to Jaffna in his three day visit to the country. 

Responding to questions from the media Mr. Boucher said the United States was clearly against the air attacks carried out by the LTTE, which led to the killing and injuring of people. The air strikes should stop, he said. 

Commenting on the assistance given by the US to combat terror in Sri Lanka, Mr. Boucher said the US was concentrating on helping the Government improve
the skills and professional training of the security forces. They were considered ways to help defend the people and also help the Government to defend the people.  

Asked what the his central message to the Government of Sri Lanka was regarding human rights abuses by the Security Forces, and the proposals for international monitors of human rights in Sri Lanka, the US Assistant
Secretary of State said that as a democratic government, the Sri Lankan Government needed to have high standards with regard to human rights. It
should hold people who were responsible for earlier violations accountable, and prevent any abuses in the future. With regard to the monitoring of human rights it was a task that lay with the Government, the Press, the Human Rights Commission, as well as the Police and other groups. 

He said there were commitments by the Government to take steps to ensure that human rights violations don't take place. He stressed on the need for accountability on this matter. He was glad that the International Group of Eminent Persons was looking at how things could be improved with regard to accountability about human rights violations. 

With regard to new initiatives by the US for peace in Sri Lanka, Mr. Boucher said: "we are looking at ways forward".  He laid emphasis on the importance of devolution proposals, which will accept the Tamil population as part of Sri Lankan society, and would also be the basis for peace. He said there was a need for consensus among all political groups to move forward, and was glad for the various proposals that had been submitted to the All Party Representative Committee.  

Mr. Boucher was not prepared to make any comment on reports about the British Government suspending aid to Sri Lanka. He said the US had several ongoing programmes in Sri Lanka in education and several other areas. With regard to assistance under the Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC), a US private sector initiative to help developing countries, he said the MCC
programme of assistance to Sri Lanka had not yet been finalized, due to circumstances under which it was unable to proceed. There was no stopping of MCC assistance.    

Commenting on his assessment of the Government's commitment to peace, Mr. Boucher said that all who he met showed a commitment to peace. He had explained that consensus in the APRC would be the best way forward. That would be the basis for the country to go forward, for the Peace Process to go forward. This is not an issue where differences between political parties
should come in, he said.

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Last Updated Date: May 10, 2007 -16.30 GMT