Sri Lanka must act to prevent human rights abuses including abductions, the intimidation of media personnel and the recruitment of child soldiers as it fights a 25-year civil war against Tamil Tigers, U.S. Assistant Secretary of State Richard Boucher told reporters in Colombo last week.
"We have been concerned about the continuing reports of abductions, disappearances, the detention of some people and reports of intimidation against the media," Boucher said.
"All these things need to be stopped. The government needs to take action against the perpetrators," he said.
Boucher was in the Sri Lankan capital Colombo as an observer at the 15th summit of the South Asian Association of Regional Cooperation (SAARC), from July 27 to August 3.
Asked if the US was disappointed as the peace process between the government and the Tigers now seemed to have hit a roadblock, Boucher said, "We’ve had these periods before. It has not always been positive and with great momentum. We've had periods when it looked frozen, we've had periods when they were fighting and killing -- I hate to see it, I mean these bus bombings are horrible and the things that are happening to ordinary Sri Lankans and what they have to put up with..." reported Sunday Times newspaper in Sri Lanka.
However, he added, "Whatever is going on in the peace talks, the democratic government has a responsibility to all of its citizens. As military gains are made, as the areas are opened up and come under government control, all citizens in the area need to benefit from democratic government and respect for their human rights -- Tamil community, Muslim community."
"The government needs to reach out to them", Boucher said and argued, "It is pushing forward in military areas. It needs to push forward in political areas as well, in the end the political arrangements in the island need to have a place for all citizens", the paper quoted.
Sri Lanka was ranked the world's third deadliest place for journalists last year, after Iraq and Somalia, by the World Association of Newspapers (WAN), a Paris-based organisation promoting media freedom worldwide.
This year alone, 12 journalists have been attacked, with one hacked to death. Media groups say the government has failed to apprehend any of the attackers.
"We have made it clear we are concerned about the human rights situation here," Boucher said, saying reports of abuses should be fully investigated and legal action taken.
Boucher also urged Sri Lanka to demobilise its paramilitary forces and stop the recruitment of child soldiers.
United Nations officials recently accused the Tamil Makkal Viduthalai Puligal (TMVP), a paramilitary group operating with the Sri Lankan army, of aiding the Sri Lankan military in recruiting under-aged combatants.
