Statement of the Co-Chairs of the Sri
Lanka Donor Group, June 13, 2005
| The following is a statement released
by the Co-chairs of the Sri Lanka Donor Group, who met on June 13,
2005, in Washington D.C |
Press Release
Office of Public Diplomacy, Embassy
of the United States of America
STATEMENT OF THE CO-CHAIRS OF THE
SRI LANKA DONOR GROUP JUNE 13, 2005
" The Co-chairs of
the Sri Lanka Donor Group met on June 13 to discuss the current situation
in Sri Lanka and consider the way forward.
Peace process and Ceasefire
Agreement
We note with utmost concern
that while full-scale hostilities have not resumed, respect for the
Cease-Fire Agreement has been undermined by persistent violence, including
assassinations of individuals affiliated with both parties. The resulting
climate of impunity violates the spirit of the Cease-Fire Agreement.
The Co-chairs urge the
parties to take all necessary steps to end violence and enforce all
provisions of the Cease-Fire Agreement in areas under their control.
The Co-chairs call on the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) to
stop assassinations, including of individuals such as Tamil informants,
members of other Tamil groups and political parties and government and
military officials, and to stop the recruitment and use of child soldiers.
The Co-chairs likewise call on the Sri Lankan government to take decisive
action to ensure that killings are stopped and paramilitaries are disarmed
immediately as required in the Cease-Fire Agreement.
We recognize that most
Sri Lankans understand that the only path to a better future is through
negotiations aimed at a peaceful settlement. The Co-chairs continue
to call on the government and the LTTE to bring about substantial and
concrete progress in the peace process.
The Co-chairs commend the
untiring efforts of Norway to facilitate a peaceful resolution to this
conflict, and the Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission (SLMM) in carrying out
the monitoring of the Cease-Fire Agreement.
Tsunami reconstruction
The Co-chairs support the
commitment by the President, her government and the LTTE to rapidly
implement the structure to administer tsunami assistance in the North
and East. The Co-chairs recognize the importance of the Muslim community
in the functioning of this structure. We believe such a structure will
facilitate effectiveness and equity in tsunami assistance, and can help
build confidence between the two sides. We urge the immediate signing
of the agreement in order to ensure proper flow of reconstruction aid
to tsunami victims in the North and East.
The Co-Chairs call on all
donors, private and public, to tailor their reconstruction activities
in the North and East to the specific humanitarian situation, particularly
the need to observe a balance between the victims of the conflict and
those of the tsunami."
Source: Website of the
Embassy
of the United States of America, Sri Lanka
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