US for continuous engagement on human rights

The United States says that it was aware of the human rights situation in Sri Lanka and continues to engage directly with the Sri Lankan government to address those issues in the past.

The U.S. State Department’s Assistant Secretary for Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor Michael Posner made these remarks at a State Department press conference on Saturday.

“We continue to engage directly with the Sri Lankan Government on those issues of looking at the past. The UN has an expert that’s now doing its work. We’re going to watch that closely,” he said.

“There is a very real internal discussion here about what our alternatives are. But we are aware of some of the humanitarian issues that continue to be of concern, as well as the issues of how to deal with the past,” Posner said.

Commenting on the human rights issues in Sri Lanka’s neighbor, Posner said India is “a big country with lots of human rights challenges.”

He said the Indian government is doing a lot of very positive things, although there are some challenges. “But we continue to regard India as a very important ally and friend,” he added.

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