COLOMBO, May 2, 2015 (AFP), US Secretary of State John Kerry hailed Sri Lanka's
new reformist government Saturday for making "enormous progress"
since the departure of strongman Mahinda Rajapakse and for pursuing
reconciliation with Tamils after the island's devastating ethnic conflict.
As he met top
officials including President Maithripala Sirisena, Kerry said he saw
"extraordinary opportunities" opening up for bilateral ties and said
Washington stood ready to help Colombo in any way it could. "Today we
have talked about the enormous progress Sri Lanka has made in just a few
months," said Kerry as he appeared alongside Foreign Minister Mangala
Samaraweera.
"I'm here today
because I want to say to the people of Sri Lanka that in (this) journey to
restore your democracy the American people will stand with you," added
Kerry. "There is
progress on democratic institutions, progress on creating more accountable
government, passage of (the) 19th amendment in which the president kept his
promise to reduce powers of the presidency."
Since coming to
power in January elections, Sirisena has begun delivering on his pledges to
reduce some of the powers of the president, effectively reversing changes
brought in by Rajapakse to tighten his grip.
Lawmakers voted
overwhelmingly on Tuesday in favour of restoring a two-term limit for the
president and reviving independent bodies to manage key institutions such as
the police and the judiciary. Kerry also
praised the new government for reaching out to the Tamil minority after the end
of a 37-year ethnic conflict that claimed more than 100,000 lives.
"You are
working on creating an enduring peace and you are working on providing prosperity
for all of your people," he said. Sirisena, who
mopped up most of the votes among the Tamil minority in the polls, has vowed to
pursue reconciliation efforts more vigorously than Rajapakse, who had a
reputation as a hardline Sinhalese nationalist.
Samaraweera, who
was on hand to welcome Kerry at Colombo airport, had equally warm words for his
guest, the first US secretary of state to visit Colombo in a decade.
'Special
relationship'
"Today is
the beginning of a very very special friendship," said the foreign
minister."Today, Sri
Lanka is well on its way to becoming a fully-fledged Parliamentary democracy,
laying the foundations for a new Sri Lanka, built on the pillars of democracy
and ethnic harmony."
Shortly
afterwards, Kerry arrived at Sirisena's office where he held around 30 minutes
of talks behind closed doors following handshakes. During
Rajapakse's rule, Washington was close to slapping sanctions on Colombo for
refusing to allow investigations into claims of mass killings and rights abuses
at the end of the war in 2009 between the Tamil Tiger rebels and government
forces.
As Sri Lanka's
relations with the West and regional powerhouse India soured, Rajapakse turned
increasingly to Beijing, with Chinese-funded investments projects springing up
across Sri Lanka. Since coming to
power, Sirisena has tried to reset the diplomatic balance, choosing New Delhi
for his first foreign visit and offering the hand of friendship to other key
players who fell out with his predecessor.
Kerry was
instrumental in persuading Rajapakse to accept the results of the January 8
election that brought an end to a nine-year rule marred by rampant nepotism and
corruption allegations. Amid rumours
Rajapakse might try to cling to power by force, Kerry spoke to him at the time
to press what he called "the importance of maintaining a peaceful process
no matter what".
Kerry afterwards
hailed the "peaceful change of power" in Sri Lanka, mindful of the
contested outcome of several recent elections in South Asia. As well as making
a keynote speech on reconciliation, Kerry will meet the leaders of the main
Tamil political group, the Tamil National Alliance, on Sunday morning before
flying to the Kenyan capital Nairobi.
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