Obama-Clinton's top human rights-democracy official visits Sri Lanka for talks ahead of UNHCR Session

Under Secretary of State for Democracy, Human Rights and Global Affairs, a close colleague of Secretary Hillary Clinton and onetime top official of the Clinton administration, Maria Otero will be in Sri Lanka February 12-14 for top-level official talks with the government.

The visit to Sri Lanka comes ahead of a United Nations human rights council meeting in Geneva, which starts later this month, where Washington hopes to move a resolution pressing Colombo to account for the situation that arose due to the intense battle between government military and separatist Tamil Tigers leading to the total defeat of the separatist movement in May 2009.

Under secretary Otero is joined by the State Department's Sri Lanka portfolio holder assistant secretary Robert Blake.

Apart from what Ms. Otero will learn from Mr. Blake about Sri Lanka, she has gone on record of pronouncements to the effect that other nations will work to solve their problems and issues to the mechanisms the United States set up.

Last year she told in a media interview that “Obviously we know that the U.S. is a superpower and that the U.S. position holds a lot of influence. But what [other countries] appreciate most is our ability to work through the multilateral agencies and mechanisms that we set up... We see other countries welcoming that approach."

At the State Department, Ms.Otero works with such human rights luminaries as Assistant Secretary for Democracy, Human Rights and Labor Michael Posner; Legal Adviser Harold Koh, who defended Obama administration's decision to assassinate American citizens who have connections with terrorist organizations,and Ambassador at Large for Women's Issues Melanne Verveer.

María Otero was sworn in as United States Under Secretary of State for Democracy and Global Affairs on August 10, 2009. She oversees and coordinates U.S. foreign policy on a variety of global issues, including democracy, human rights, and labor; environment, oceans, health and science, population, refugees and migration, and trafficking in persons. She also serves as the Special Coordinator for Tibetan Issues.

She told Senators at her confirmation in the US Senate that her main focus would be making sure governments follow the tenets set out in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. "Democracy and human rights are at the core of our foreign policy goals, and to the values we hold as a nation," she said. "I will work to ensure that they remain central to our decision-making."

She says, "One of the most important things that [ Secretary Clinton] has emphasized and pushed is the really important role of civil society in addressing the question of human rights." This means empowering activists like Liu Xiaobo, the Chinese dissident who was barred from accepting the Nobel Peace Prize. "We recognize that there are many brave human rights and religious leaders and others that are working hard in their own countries," she says of Liu Xiaobo. "Our effort is to recognize the importance of human rights defenders, and to help protect them when necessary."

Under Secretary Otero and Assistant Secretary Blake will travel to Colombo, Sri Lanka February 12-14. In Sri Lanka, Under Secretary Otero and Assistant Secretary Blake will meet with a broad spectrum of Sri Lankan government officials and attend a luncheon hosted by Minister of External Affairs G.L. Peiris. Under Secretary Otero and Assistant Secretary Blake will also meet with civil society representatives, youth groups, and political leaders.

Following her visit to Sri Lanka, Under Secretary Otero will travel to New Delhi, India February 14-15 to meet with senior government officials, civil society representatives and youth leaders.

The two officials are expected to enlighten the Sri Lankan President and the government on a resolution on Sri Lanka the United States plans to support at the 19th session of the United Nations Human Rights Council in Geneva, Switzerland later this month.

- Asian Tribune -

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