Self Rule in North/East - End to Sinhalese domination with Tamils sharing political power, the U.S. policy in Sri Lanka
United States Assistant Secretary of State for South Asia Richard Boucher, at hand in the Washington State Department building, and U.S. ambassador to Sri Lanka Robert Blake participating through a digital video conference from Colombo giving an audience to several U.S.-based organizations representing members of the Tamil Diaspora to discuss the humanitarian situation in Sri Lanka on April 8 strategically gave a serious message to the Rajapaksa administration in Sri Lanka.
The message is very clear and not a new one but this times a direct hit at the Government of Sri Lanka.
The message was an emphasis of the "urgent need for the Government of Sri Lanka to engage Tamils, including Diaspora communities around the world, to find a political end of the conflict."
To the U.S. a political solution means near-self rule in the North and East of Sri Lanka and the end to "Sinhalese-dominated" government giving greater and enhanced participation of ethnic minority Tamils in the affairs of the nation. On those lines the U.S. advocates devolving political and administrative power to the periphery insisting the implementation of the Thirteenth Amendment to the Constitution to the letter.
And the message became a direct hit because it was made while surrounded by "several U.S.-based organizations representing members of the Tamil Diaspora", according to the official media note issued by the State Department.
Sri Lankan officials have blamed some of the representative organizations of the Tamil Diaspora as proxies of the LTTE.
The State Department did not disclose which organization and who represented the Tamil Diaspora in the dialogue with Boucher and Blake.
The United States through its diplomatic mission in Colombo and often through its South Asia Bureau conveyed to the Sri Lanka in statements and official pronouncements since late eighties on issues such as devolution, Tamil grievances, ethnic problems, discrimination and a political solution. But those messages were 'soft' ones.
The United States uses various methods of communicating with a host country. If the host country fails to heed to the 'advice' it uses the ‘hard’ method.
.......
asiantribune
US state department press release
Assistant Secretary Boucher and Ambassador Blake Discuss Humanitarian Situation in Sri Lanka with Tamil Diaspora Groups
Bureau of Public Affairs: Office of the Spokesman
Washington, DC, April 8, 2009
Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asian Affairs Richard Boucher and U.S. Ambassador to Sri Lanka Robert Blake met with several U.S.-based organizations representing members of the Tamil Diaspora to discuss the humanitarian situation in Sri Lanka.
Assistant Secretary Boucher and Ambassador Blake welcomed the opportunity to listen to the concerns and perspectives of the American Tamil Diaspora community and to share the steps the United States is taking to address the humanitarian crisis. Assistant Secretary Boucher and Ambassador Blake emphasized U.S. concern about the plight of the civilians trapped in the “no fire zone” in northern Sri Lanka. They called on the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam to release the civilians. They reiterated that both the Tamil Tigers and the Government of Sri Lanka should stop firing into and from the no fire zone.
They outlined the steps the U.S. has taken to support the civilians in the no fire zone.The United States has provided $23.6 million towards International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) regional activities, which includes ICRC activities in Sri Lanka, and $8.3 million to UNHCR for its South Asia appeal and its portion of the Common Humanitarian Action Plan (CHAP) for Sri Lanka. In 2008, the United States also provided $5.9 million in non-food support to the UN and international NGOs operating in Sri Lanka.
Assistant Secretary Boucher and Ambassador Blake emphasized the urgent need for the Government of Sri Lanka to engage Tamils, including Diaspora communities around the world, to find a political end of the conflict. Assistant Secretary Boucher and Ambassador Blake concluded by saying that they would like to continue the dialogue with the Diaspora community and urged participants to continue to share feedback.
The discussion took place at the State Department with Ambassador Blake speaking through via a digital video conference at the U.S. Embassy in Colombo.
www.state.gov
United States Assistant Secretary of State for South Asia Richard Boucher, at hand in the Washington State Department building, and U.S. ambassador to Sri Lanka Robert Blake participating through a digital video conference from Colombo giving an audience to several U.S.-based organizations representing members of the Tamil Diaspora to discuss the humanitarian situation in Sri Lanka on April 8 strategically gave a serious message to the Rajapaksa administration in Sri Lanka.
The message is very clear and not a new one but this times a direct hit at the Government of Sri Lanka.
The message was an emphasis of the "urgent need for the Government of Sri Lanka to engage Tamils, including Diaspora communities around the world, to find a political end of the conflict."
To the U.S. a political solution means near-self rule in the North and East of Sri Lanka and the end to "Sinhalese-dominated" government giving greater and enhanced participation of ethnic minority Tamils in the affairs of the nation. On those lines the U.S. advocates devolving political and administrative power to the periphery insisting the implementation of the Thirteenth Amendment to the Constitution to the letter.
And the message became a direct hit because it was made while surrounded by "several U.S.-based organizations representing members of the Tamil Diaspora", according to the official media note issued by the State Department.
Sri Lankan officials have blamed some of the representative organizations of the Tamil Diaspora as proxies of the LTTE.
The State Department did not disclose which organization and who represented the Tamil Diaspora in the dialogue with Boucher and Blake.
The United States through its diplomatic mission in Colombo and often through its South Asia Bureau conveyed to the Sri Lanka in statements and official pronouncements since late eighties on issues such as devolution, Tamil grievances, ethnic problems, discrimination and a political solution. But those messages were 'soft' ones.
The United States uses various methods of communicating with a host country. If the host country fails to heed to the 'advice' it uses the ‘hard’ method.
.......
asiantribune
US state department press release
Assistant Secretary Boucher and Ambassador Blake Discuss Humanitarian Situation in Sri Lanka with Tamil Diaspora Groups
Bureau of Public Affairs: Office of the Spokesman
Washington, DC, April 8, 2009
Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asian Affairs Richard Boucher and U.S. Ambassador to Sri Lanka Robert Blake met with several U.S.-based organizations representing members of the Tamil Diaspora to discuss the humanitarian situation in Sri Lanka.
Assistant Secretary Boucher and Ambassador Blake welcomed the opportunity to listen to the concerns and perspectives of the American Tamil Diaspora community and to share the steps the United States is taking to address the humanitarian crisis. Assistant Secretary Boucher and Ambassador Blake emphasized U.S. concern about the plight of the civilians trapped in the “no fire zone” in northern Sri Lanka. They called on the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam to release the civilians. They reiterated that both the Tamil Tigers and the Government of Sri Lanka should stop firing into and from the no fire zone.
They outlined the steps the U.S. has taken to support the civilians in the no fire zone.The United States has provided $23.6 million towards International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) regional activities, which includes ICRC activities in Sri Lanka, and $8.3 million to UNHCR for its South Asia appeal and its portion of the Common Humanitarian Action Plan (CHAP) for Sri Lanka. In 2008, the United States also provided $5.9 million in non-food support to the UN and international NGOs operating in Sri Lanka.
Assistant Secretary Boucher and Ambassador Blake emphasized the urgent need for the Government of Sri Lanka to engage Tamils, including Diaspora communities around the world, to find a political end of the conflict. Assistant Secretary Boucher and Ambassador Blake concluded by saying that they would like to continue the dialogue with the Diaspora community and urged participants to continue to share feedback.
The discussion took place at the State Department with Ambassador Blake speaking through via a digital video conference at the U.S. Embassy in Colombo.
www.state.gov
