Sri Lanka slams US over its internal affairs

The Sri Lankan government Sunday slammed the US and said it would not wish to be dictated to by others in the international community in the conduct of its internal affairs.

Reacting to comments made by US Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asian Affairs Nisha Biswal at the end of her visit to Sri Lanka, the external affairs ministry of Sri Lanka said that it was clear from her visit and the intrusive behaviour of other representatives that there is a desire to believe the worst of Sri Lanka and seek to build on that premise to justify punitive action against the country.

These "reckless and irresponsible statements without evidence" are aimed to create an impact to give way to prejudged action, an external affairs ministry spokesman said in the statement.

The government said there was a lack of objectivity in recognising the substantial progress in addressing the challenges during the brief span of four years since the end of an armed conflict of 30 years.

Biswal has said that the patience of the international community on the human rights issue is wearing thin but the external affairs ministry said her views were not accurate.

The Sri Lankan government has been accused of failing to address alleged human rights abuses committed during the war against the Tamil Tiger rebels.