Sri Lanka urges US to focus on business, not human rights

by senthil5000 | May 25, 2010 at 10:41 pm

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Sri Lanka's new foreign minister started visiting various countries recently as the evidences of its war crimes keeps emerging. During his visit in US, he urged Washington to seize the business opportunities that came up after the war instead of focusing on human right abuses in the country. He is calling American companies to make business in their country inspite of the allegations of human right violations.

WASHINGTON (AFP) – Sri Lanka's new Foreign Minister G.L. Peiris on Tuesday urged Washington to seize business and other opportunities in post-war Sri Lanka rather than focus only on alleged human rights abuses there.

Visiting Washington after Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapakse won a resounding reelection victory in April, Peiris parried criticism from human rights activists and others as he began a week-long visit to push for closer ties.

Rajapakse has come under fire at home and abroad for allegedly violating human rights in the final military campaign against Tamil Tiger rebels and has been accused of suppressing dissent since his reelection.

Representatives from the International Crisis Group and Amnesty International aired some of the alleged abuses in a question-and-answer session with Peiris following his speech about post-election and post-war developments.

Business opportunities abound, according to Peiris, who was minister for international trade in the previous government.

"In particular, as we open up the country, as we rebuild the infrastructure, I think there is a great deal of scope for American companies to come in and participate fully in that exercise," he said