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We are concerned about the worsening situation on human rights’

Voicing frustration over the pace of reconciliation in Sri Lanka five

years after the end of the war, a visiting official from the United

States on Saturday warned that the patience of the international

community was wearing thin.

Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asian Affairs

Nisha Desai Biswal said deterioration in human rights,

transparency and governance was taking a toll on democracy in Sri

Lanka. “We reiterated our commitment to Sri Lanka but conveyed

our concerns to senior government officials about the insufficient

progress in addressing justice, reconciliation, and accountability,”

Ms. Biswal said at a press conference here.

Ms. Biswal, who arrived in Colombo on Friday, met top government

officials, politicians in the ruling coalition and the Opposition –

including Northern Province Chief Minister C.V. Wigneswaran – and

civil society representatives. On Saturday, she travelled to Jaffna,

and held meetings with civil society representatives there. Amid

growing speculation on a strong U.S.-sponsored resolution against

Sri Lanka, she said: “We are concerned about the worsening

situation with respect to human rights, including continued

attacks against religious minorities, as well as the weakening of

the rule of law and an increase in the levels of corruption and

impunity.”

Only about a week ago did the Northern Provincial Council pass a

resolution calling for an international inquiry into the alleged war

crimes. Asked if the U.S.-resolution was likely to push for an

international probe, Ms. Biswal — who maintained that it was too

early to comment on how it would be worded — said the U.S.

always had a strong desire to have a Sri Lanka-led reconciliation

process, but the international community was frustrated and

sceptical of the pace of the government’s progress in this regard.