By Wajid Ali Syed – Washington Correspondent for Asian Tribune
Washington, 22 May, (Asiantribune.com): The United States has said that its reviewing the 1.9 billion dollar loan by the IMF to Sri Lanka, though nothing has been decided about it yet.
Department of State spokesperson, Ian Kelly, said at a daily briefing that the quarter century old conflict ended just a couple of days ago, so the US is still in a process of making an assessment - later explaining himself added that the international community needs to make assessment of exactly what happened and consult with the Sri Lankan government.
The spokesperson told reporters that the United States is concerned about the humanitarian situation in Sri Lanka. He maintained that US is constantly updating its assistance to Sri Lanka through USAID but it believes that the best way to address the issue is through the international community - with the UN in the lead.
"We remain concerned about lack of access to the former conflict zone and lack of access for humanitarian aid," the spokesperson said, "but as we go forward and we engage with the Government of Sri Lanka, I mean, this will be something that, of course, we’ll consider."
He said that Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton spoke to the UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon about his upcoming visit to Sri Lanka which aims to reinforce needy access to conflict zone and IDP camps. "US urged the government of Sri Lanka to allow the ICRC, and the UN immediate access to former conflict area."
Kelly added that the US also participated in a Tokyo Co-Chairs phone call a couple of days ago - with Norway, Japan, the EU commission, and the Czech Republic, meanwhile the US embassy continues to meet with senior Sri Lankan officials on regular basis. "Secretary offered full US cooperation to the UN and international efforts to address the humanitarian needs of the Sri Lankan people.
- Asian Tribune -
Comments
Why do we need beg for 1.9
Why do we need beg for 1.9 billion dollars? Lets stand up to it, let us starve for one day, but stand up for our motherland!, we should not beg for the bloody US money!
US Congress has already
US Congress has already passed a law allowing IMF to provide a loan to Sri Lanka for the purpose of dealing with balance of payments.
IMF loans are only used by Central Bank to deal with balance of payments.
As such, after all the fuss, US is in a helpful mood.
But I do not know why UN & ICRC want access to the conflict area when all the Internally Displaced are in camps and access available to UN & ICRC.
It goes without saying that there is a hidden agenda when they talk about access to conflict areas.
I worry about the people who come to help while making demands from GOSL.
It does not compute.
Yes! We can! During tsunami
Yes! We can!
During tsunami we stopped everything and travelled here and there for cleaning dead bodies etc. Myself was in Trincomalee, Batticaloe Thangalle for more than two weeks.
We did a huge work there. if this is well planned, we can have our free working capacity. Say I would donate a week for two months. I can donate some of my salary. There will be many of Sri Lankans to do this. As one politician said. this loan is making problems. This discourages our willingness to work for the country. We feel if money is there the govt can handdle this.
No NO this is not the way that fit for UNIQUE Sri Lanka.
If the loan is given it should come without conditions. Otherwise we need not it.
What our KING has to do is, JUST ASK FOR INDIVIDUAL ASSISTANCE.
Please dont allow these loans to make SRILANKANS SLAVES of miscalled INtl Community.
Jaya!
Dilip Fernando
www.pdkfernando.co.cc
We need not to beg for a
We need not to beg for a loan we have to pay back with interests. If anybody tries to hold a loan for any reason other than our ability to pay it back, that is a serious infringement of the sovereignty of the people of Sri Lanka. By engaging in dirty tactics, US, UK etc have very successfully created a country not friendly towards political meddling.
The role for ICRC is gone with total elimination of LTTE. Therefore, ICRC needs not to be here except for a one person symbolic presence. The government is working over time with our allies to settle everybody in the homes in 6 months. Therfefore, only a minor presence of UNHCR is needed.
Most certainly, we don't need INGOs or NGOs who are here to break our social fabric while engaging in spreading religious fundamentalism.
We don't need a cent from
We don't need a cent from these ass-holes! Best thing is to stay away from them!
Prof.Calculus!!!! On theatre
Prof.Calculus!!!!
On theatre of world politics,U.S behaving like the Prof.Calculus in
'Tin Tin'
Bloody US stay away from sri
Bloody US stay away from sri lanka.We do not need you.
Your money has blood in it.Distribute your money to your prostitute in Les Vegas and save them from HIV.
we do not want this HIV money anymore.
All we want is to leave us alone and we will find a way.
Sri Lanka and it's people can always find a way.
US,UK,EU should know, this
US,UK,EU should know, this is Sri Lanka, not Somalia! We have lived 3000 years without IMF loans! and we have won many a wars, and we have shown we can still win!.
Why should we beg for a loan? Why can't we be more productive and whither this storm?
we certainly can and we already have a very strong leader. Its right time for Mahinda to speak up to general public, to ask from Sri Lankans to lend a hand to build the country, not to beg the Western '....' (readers may pick the correct last word!)
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