The
United States has warned that if Sri Lanka fails to address accountability
issues through its own internal process then there will be pressure exerted
towards an international process.
Nisha
Desai Biswal, President Barack Obama’s nominee to be Assistant Secretary of
State for South Asian affairs, said this while addressing the US Senate Foreign
Relations Committee in her confirmation hearing.
“As
Sri Lanka works to rebuild its society after a devastating civil war, I will, if
confirmed, continue to stress the importance of reconciliation and
accountability and for the government to meet its commitments to all of its
population,” she said.
Senate
member Marco Antonio Rubio noted during the hearing that in Sri Lanka there were
reports of 30 churches being attacked by Buddhist extremists. He said that he
was not aware such a thing took place in Sri Lanka.
Senator John Mccain noted that Sri Lanka went through a terrible
bloody conflict but there continues to be reports from human rights
organizations that there are still significant human rights abuses taking place
against the Tamils which rise to a level that is “very
disturbing”.
He asked if the US should be more active in condemning the ongoing
serious human rights abuses.
“The
US has been very active and very engaged with Sri Lanka and with the
international community in expressing our concern about both accountability and
reconciliation between minority populations and majority populations in Sri
Lanka. We have made clear that we believe that if Sri Lanka does not address
through its own internal processes that there will be increasing calls for
international processes to address these issues,” she said.
If
confirmed by the Senate, Desai will become the first person of Indian or even
South Asian origin to head the bureau, which oversees US foreign policy and
relations with India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Afghanistan, Sri Lanka, Nepal,
Maldives and Bhutan.
Biswal
will take over the South Asian affairs division from former US Ambassador to Sri
Lanka and Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asian Affairs
Robert Blake.
September
13, 2013
