Colombo: Ahead of a key UN Human Rights
Council (UNHRC) session where the US may move an anti-Sri
Lanka resolution, leaders of the main Tamil party here on Tuesday
met visiting US diplomat Stephen Rapp and discussed matters
relating to the minority community.
Tamil National Alliance (TNA) leader R Sampanthan and the
party`s national list MP M A Sumanthiran held talks with Rapp,
the US Ambassador at Large on Global Criminal Justice who is
on a 4-day visit to the island nation.
Several matters related to the problems faced by the
minority Tamils were discussed at the meeting, a TNA release
said.
Rapp`s visit assumes significance against the backdrop of
accusations by Colombo that the US was trying to coax
governments to support its possible anti-Sri Lanka resolution
at the UNHRC session in Geneva later this month..
The proposed resolution is likely to be based on a letter
sent to Sri Lankan External Affairs Minister G L Peiris by US
Secretary of State Hillary Clinton on January 27 emphasising
the need for implementing recommendations of the Lessons
Learnt and Reconciliation Commission (LLRC).
Two more US officials who would be visiting Colombo over
the weekend are Under Secretary for Civilian Security
Democracy and Human Rights Marie Otero and Assistant Secretary
for Central and South Asian Affairs Robert Blake.
PTI
