The US Government has called for a transparent and thorough investigation into the Weliweriya violence that claimed three lives and injured dozens in the small town on August 1.
“The United States is concerned by recent violent incidents, including shootings of unarmed protesters, in Weliweriya, Sri Lanka,” US State Department Spokesman Jen Psaki said.
In a statement released from Washington DC, Psaki said that the US continued to urge all sides to exercise restraint and urge the authorities to respect the right of peaceful protest.
Psaki said the US was particularly concerned by reports that protestors seeking refuge within a Catholic church were attacked there.
“There is never any excuse for violence, particularly in a house of worship,” the Spokesperson said.
“We call for a thorough and transparent inquiry into all aspects of the Weliweriya violence, for those conclusions to be made public, and for there to be a credible mechanism to prosecute any wrongdoing,” her statement concluded.
We give below the US statement in full;
Secretary of State John Kerry
U.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATE
Office of the Spokesperson
For Immediate Release
August 9, 2013
2013/0986
STATEMENT BY JEN PSAKI, SPOKESPERSON
Violent Incidents in Weliweriya, Sri Lanka
The United States is concerned by recent violent incidents, including shootings of unarmed protesters, in Weliweriya, Sri Lanka. We offer our condolences to the families of the deceased and injured, continue to urge all sides to exercise restraint, and urge the authorities to respect the right of peaceful protest.
We are particularly concerned by reports that protestors seeking refuge within a Catholic church were attacked there. There is never any excuse for violence, particularly in a house of worship.
We call for a thorough and transparent inquiry into all aspects of the Weliweriya violence, for those conclusions to be made public, and for there to be a credible mechanism to prosecute any wrongdoing.
Spring Koha / August 10, 2013
Very comforting of the USofA to show ‘concern’ over events in far off Weliveriya.In reality, that’s it! Perhaps it’s best that it stays that way. It is for us in this island paradise to sort ourselves out and we really do not need the help of international do-gooders who are only likely as not to make a bad situation worse.
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steve / August 10, 2013
Stupid John Kerry,
Why don.t you clear your own garbage first.
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Silva / August 10, 2013
Spring Koha and steve,
Stupid assholes, the real problem of Weliveriya people is not “far off US” or “US’s own garbage” but the bloody bastard cockroaches like you who are licking the leftovers of Rajapakshas and then show no concern for the suffering of the people here but sell your assholes to Rajapakshas for dollars!
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Spring Koha / August 11, 2013
Quick Silva, read the comment c a r e f u l l y…..It has nothing to do with sucking up to the Rajapaksa’s or any other faction here in Sri Lanka. It is a simple exhortation to the effect that we Sri Lankans, here in Sri Lanka, would prefer to sort our affairs among ourselves, without interference from any outside source. And that goes for the long-distance meddlers in the Diaspora too. Good day!
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gamini / August 12, 2013
Spring Kohas generally sing just before Sinhala New Year commences, just to get themselves screwed by their kind and even by a crow would not matter. But this Spring Koha appears to sing right through this blog appealing for the same job from the Rajapaksas to be done and the Offense Sectretary will one of these days oblige the bugger. At least then we will have Peace. Imagine the way we have been settling our affairs without interference since Independence we have proved beyond doubt our inability.
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Siripala / August 12, 2013
The World is still waiting for a thorough And Transparent Inquiry Into All Aspects Of crimes doen by the US forces in Lybia and Afganistan. JK first finish those unattended jobs and then we in Sri Lanka will consider whether the US is worth to receive a inquiry report about the Waliweriya incident.
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gamini / August 10, 2013
Are we, Sri Lanka the Property of the US for them to always ask for investigations and reports and do nothing thereafter allowing the whole thing to die down and forget it afterwards? Why is it that the UN and other donor countries like Britain, Germany, Japan and Australia does not show any interest? Is it because the Americans have shut their mouths?
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Garusinghe / August 10, 2013
I too in the same thoughts of Gamini regarding the US, IMF, WB & Indian stance of Sri Lanka. Rajafucksas perhaps playing havoc with the secret approval of them. If US or India strongly and genuinely WARN the regime they would not dare to oppose these two big powers. Forth coming CW meeting in SL also approved by India when so many international organizations were opposing.
Rajafuckse will be out in weeks if India or US wants. Very fishy indeed.
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gamini / August 11, 2013
America promptly shouts loudest just to drown any other getting interested. Then they quietly allow things to become stale and everything is forgotten. This is all because, MR and the Rajapaksa brothers are their brief carriers and they have to protect them and nothing else.
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justice / August 10, 2013
Strangely,there are no remarks on the Weliweriya incident,by any member of the Commonwealth upto now.
Even India appears to be silent.
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gamini / August 12, 2013
Justice, How can they when this bugger MR is their brief carrier?
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What goes around comes around / August 10, 2013
Did you take a long dose of sleeping tablets in 2009?
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Phantom / August 10, 2013
The usual anti American nationalist cabal will hoot the USA for this. Until of course they too become victims someday :)
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Leon / August 10, 2013
John is a white Tiger, whose is supported by the Tiger rump in the US.
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Jim softy: / August 10, 2013
So, tigers want to prove that the govt is like this even for the sinhala people.
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gamini / August 12, 2013
Jim Softy, there is nothing more to prove as it as been proved beyond all doubt with Weliweriya, although Lasantha Wickrematunge, Prageeth Eknaligoda et al were not understood by the Moda Sinhala Olcott Buddhists as yourself.
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Senguttuvan / August 10, 2013
One is entitled to expect that very patriotic Govt official GR to invoke Sovereignty here. Kerry/USA know all too well this is possibly outside their area and far too insignificant an issue to poke their
fingers into. Are they, therefore, placing this on record for “future reference” – as that friendly PC in the Police Station used to advise in those fine days when our Police force was people-friendly and much respected by the public?
Senguttuvan
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Jim softy: / August 10, 2013
Just looking at the title I can understand why Weliweriya needed Army to be crushed.
the dead people became pawns of a bigger power.
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Kami / August 11, 2013
OUR GOVT KNOWS HOW TO DIVERT ATTENTION OF THE SRI LANKANS AND THE WORLD FROM WELIWERIYA; MR. KERRY SEE HOW ALREASY THE FOCUS IS NOW ON GRANDPASS, CLEARLY AWAY FROM WELIWERIYA!
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Arjuna Seneviratne / August 11, 2013
Reading the responses I am seeing a lot of people with a lot of axes to grind. It doesn’t require rocket science to understand that what Kerry says is something we can tell ourselves. We can stop yelling at the USA and start yelling at ourselves for letting people be murdered just because they wanted a drink of water.
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Yeah Right! / August 11, 2013
What ever you idiots say. its down right human rights violations. Stop blaming the U.S for making it heard. Once this military junta goes out of hand you people will start blaming the UN for not taking a stand. How idiotic are you buggers. ‘Phantom’ you are spot on.
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UNIVERSE / August 11, 2013
Time has come to get rid of this murderous government.So innocent Sri Lankans do not have a choice now…They may even have to get the help from “Devil” or the world policeman :)
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Peter Seneviratne / August 12, 2013
Will the USA be satisfied with the report that the Govnmnt of SL provides (if they ever do), and if they do not, what course of action does the USA plan to take to ensure that there ‘be a credible mechanism to prosecute any wrongdoing’???? Crows and Ravens make a big racket when they see one of theirs dead or hurt or even something black that looks like one of them injured or dead, but as soon as such dead or injured bird or black object is removed everything is forgotten. No Action … Talk Only Are we humans not any different????
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gamini / August 12, 2013
This American talk is like ‘All Fart, No Shit’.
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Stewart Sloan / August 16, 2013
When the USA hands over George Bush to an international tribunal for war crimes and authorising torture then they can dictate to other countries as to how they should conduct their affairs.
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