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        US Cautions Patience, Cites Progress in Sri Lanka Reconciliation

   by VOA News

   U.S. officials said Tuesday it will take time for Sri Lanka to achieve
   reconciliation following the country's 26-year civil war, but that it
   has made positive steps in that direction.

   Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asian Affairs Nisha
   Biswal and Assistant Secretary of State for Democracy, Human Rights and
   Labor Tom Malinowski met with Sri Lankan Foreign Minister Mangala
   Samaraweera as part of a two-day visit.

   The trip is building on a visit in May by Secretary of State John Kerry
   as the two countries improve their relations following an icy
   relationship under Sri Lanka's former President Mahinda Rajapaska.

   "Since then we have seen not only this enduring commitment to
   democracy, but also just a tremendous momentum of progress towards
   institutions of good governance, towards combating corruption and
   towards promoting reconciliation," Biswal said.

   Strengthen country

   Samaraweera said Tuesday's meetings included discussion of steps the
   government is taking to bring the country back together and strengthen
   the rule of law.

   The conflict, which pitted government forces against rebels seeking an
   independent state for Sri Lanka's Tamil minority left at least 40,000
   people dead, according to the United Nations.

   The U.N. Human Rights Council is due to release a report next month on
   possible war crimes during the war.

   Malinowski said elections in Sri Lanka, including this year's vote that
   pushed Rajapaska from power, have been an important message from the
   Sri Lankan people that they back changes in the country.

   "Twice now, they have voted North, South, East and West for the rule of
   law, against impunity, for reconciliation, for building this country,
   developing this country for everyone, and against the politics of
   ethnic and religious division, against extremism on both sides," he
   said.
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   [1]http://www.voanews.com/content/us-cautions-patience-cites-progress-i
   n-sri-lanka-reconciliation/2931319.html

References

   1. http://www.voanews.com/content/us-cautions-patience-cites-progress-in-sri-lanka-reconciliation/2931319.html