The US State Department accused the Sri Lankan government of abuses including unlawful killings, abductions, arbitrary arrests and the denial of fair public trials in its latest Country Report on Human Rights Practices in Sri Lanka released last week.
The Sri Lankan government, however, rejected the US report and claimed it presented a distorted and exaggerated view of the situation, triggering a diplomatic row.
The US Human Rights Report published on March 11 cited "numerous reports" that the army, police, and pro-government paramilitary groups had "participated in armed attacks against civilians and practiced torture, kidnapping, hostage-taking, and extortion with impunity."
"The government's respect for human rights continued to decline due in part to the escalation of the armed conflict," the report said.
The annual US report further added that more than 1,000 civilians had been killed in Sri Lanka last year as the government stepped up attacks against the LTTE.
The United States also blamed the government for making slow progress in investigating alleged serious human rights abuses.
Irritated by the accusations, Foreign Minister Rohitha Bogollagama called US envoy to Sri Lanka Robert Blake to the foreign ministry office to "strongly protest" the allegations of abuses in the State Department's human rights report, a government statement said
"The report presents a distorted view of the actual situation in Sri Lanka during the year 2007 and is unfortunately a litany of unsubstantiated allegations, innuendo and vituperative exaggerations," it statement added.
"The report presents a distorted view of the actual situation in Sri Lanka during the year 2007 and is unfortunately a litany of unsubstantiated allegations, innuendo and vituperative exaggerations".
"It is indeed a matter of concern that the report, based on hearsay ... has resulted in throwing a lifeline to the LTTE (Tigers) at a time when it is struggling to maintain its position both militarily on the ground and internationally."
However, the U.S. Embassy responded to the government statement with its own statement.
The US statement said: "Our goal ... is always to be fair and objective," and added that the U.S. government stands by the Human Rights report.
This is not the first time the Mahinda Rajapakse regime has rowed with foreign diplomats over the country’s human rights record.
Last December, Sri Lanka summoned a number of Colombo-based Western and Asian diplomats and faulted them for criticising the country's human rights record.
The government has in the past accused international diplomats who raised rights concerns of being "terrorists" and supporters of LTTE.
The Sri Lankan government, however, rejected the US report and claimed it presented a distorted and exaggerated view of the situation, triggering a diplomatic row.
The US Human Rights Report published on March 11 cited "numerous reports" that the army, police, and pro-government paramilitary groups had "participated in armed attacks against civilians and practiced torture, kidnapping, hostage-taking, and extortion with impunity."
"The government's respect for human rights continued to decline due in part to the escalation of the armed conflict," the report said.
The annual US report further added that more than 1,000 civilians had been killed in Sri Lanka last year as the government stepped up attacks against the LTTE.
The United States also blamed the government for making slow progress in investigating alleged serious human rights abuses.
Irritated by the accusations, Foreign Minister Rohitha Bogollagama called US envoy to Sri Lanka Robert Blake to the foreign ministry office to "strongly protest" the allegations of abuses in the State Department's human rights report, a government statement said
"The report presents a distorted view of the actual situation in Sri Lanka during the year 2007 and is unfortunately a litany of unsubstantiated allegations, innuendo and vituperative exaggerations," it statement added.
"The report presents a distorted view of the actual situation in Sri Lanka during the year 2007 and is unfortunately a litany of unsubstantiated allegations, innuendo and vituperative exaggerations".
"It is indeed a matter of concern that the report, based on hearsay ... has resulted in throwing a lifeline to the LTTE (Tigers) at a time when it is struggling to maintain its position both militarily on the ground and internationally."
However, the U.S. Embassy responded to the government statement with its own statement.
The US statement said: "Our goal ... is always to be fair and objective," and added that the U.S. government stands by the Human Rights report.
This is not the first time the Mahinda Rajapakse regime has rowed with foreign diplomats over the country’s human rights record.
Last December, Sri Lanka summoned a number of Colombo-based Western and Asian diplomats and faulted them for criticising the country's human rights record.
The government has in the past accused international diplomats who raised rights concerns of being "terrorists" and supporters of LTTE.
