Commenting on Sri Lanka's planned lifting of emergency laws, US State Department spokesperson, Victoria Nuland, warned Sri Lanka to make further progress on human rights and humanitarian law:
"We continue to urge the government of Sri Lanka to meet its international humanitarian law and international human rights law obligations."
"And we continue to say that if they cannot do this nationally, then the international community will have to step in. Bob Blake will be talking about all these issues on his visit."
Robert Blake, US assistance secretary of state for South and Central Asian Affairs, will be visiting Sri Lanka from 29-31 August. Nuland confirmed that as part of his visit, he will be travelling to Jaffna.
Ms. Nuland's most recent remarks come after her statement earlier this month, where she asserted the United States wants the Sri Lankan government "to establish the kind of accountable system that its people can have confidence in."
"If that does not happen and does not happen expeditiously, then we reserve the right to discuss international mechanisms," she added.
