Sri Lanka’s war crimes accused president and newly appointed prime minister both sent messages of thanks to the United States this week, after US President Joe Biden announced US$20 million in aid to reportedly feed over 800,000 children.
Gotabaya Rajapaksa, who faces a wave of anti-government protests in the Sinhala south met with US Ambassador Julie Chung and tweeted he had “conveyed my sincere thanks” to Biden.
Rajapaksa went on to add he appreciated the “valuable support shown during these difficult times” and claimed Chung “assured the [government] of the USA’s continuous support in stabilizing the economy with the recent developments with IMF”.
“The people of #SriLanka are grateful for the assistance provided by the #USA in this time of need,” he added in a separate tweet.
Ranil Wickremesinghe, Sri Lanka’s latest prime minister, also tweeted his appreciation to Biden.
The US aid announcement came as the International Monetary Fund (IMF) concluded its visit of Sri Lanka, vowing to continue discussions with the island but refusing to commit to a US$3 billion dollar bailout.
The IMF highlighted corruption as one of several issues Sri Lanka had to address.
After news of the US aid was announced, Ambassador Chung tweeted,
Oversight and transparency are critical components of our assistance programs. US aid is only awarded to partners that adhere to globally recognized monitoring and evaluation standards. This ensures that funding is accounted for, and assistance reaches those who need it most.
