Boucher to take up HR issues with Lankan leaders

Colombo, May 8: The US Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asian Affairs, Richard Boucher, is arriving at Colombo today to take up the country's humanitarian and human rights issues with the government leaders, the US Embassy here said.
Mr Boucher, during his three-day visit to Sri Lanka, is also scheduled to travel to the Northern Jaffna peninsula, where he will hold talks with the leaders of the civil society.

'' The ambassador will discuss the peace process, humanitarian issues, and human rights with Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapakse, his ministers, senior military officials, and civil society leaders in Colombo and Jaffna,'' the US Embassy said in a statement.

The visit by the top of envoy of the US has come barely a week after the UK government decided to withhold several million dollar debt relief to Sri Lanka, citing the worsening situation in the island.

However, Sri Lanka's Foreign Minister Rohitha Bogollagama said yesterday that the sum of the UK's debt relief suspension was ''too insignificant to be bothered about'' in the context of the total foreign aid portfolio.

'' How much of aid are we talking about? Three million dollars? It is too insignificant for us to bother,'' Foreign Minister Bogollagama told reporters yesterday evening after briefing the Colombo-based diplomats on various issues in the country including human rights and humanitarian situation.

He, however, said it was wrong on the part of the UK to withhold debt relief which was pledged following the 2004 tsunami disaster.

UK's Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for International Development Gareth Thomas said last week the money would be released only if Sri Lanka improved its rights record.

UNI