Will USA follow the lead of Canada to impose ban on SL leaders?
(Sunday Times 29th Jan 2023)
There has also been a significant development from the US concerning Sri Lanka. Ambassador Beth Van Schaack, head of Global Criminal Justice in the Department of State, was on a visit to Canada last week. She met Tamil diaspora groups and later tweeted : “Meaningful discussions today (January 26) with Canadian Tamil diaspora groups about ways to promote justice, accountability, and reconciliation in Sri Lanka. Respect for human rights is vital for stability and prosperity in Sri Lanka.” Days earlier, the government of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, imposed sanctions on two former presidents – Mahinda Rajapaksa and Gotabaya Rajapaksa. This was in addition to sanctions on two military officers. Sanctions on others are to follow from Western countries. This is the result of a secretariat in the UN Human Rights Council probing a multitude of human rights violations and even economic crimes that have adversely impacted human rights.