US does not support separatism — Blake
Assistant Secretary of State for Central and South Asia Robert O. Blake says in a letter to The Island in response to our recent reports on his meetings with members of the Global Tamil Forum etc that the US does not support separatism and he has never met individuals or organisations that espouse terror or violence.
Full text of the letter:
I would like to clear up some misinformation and inaccuracies reported in The Island over the past week concerning the meeting I held with Sri Lankans abroad and my plans to visit Sri Lanka.
First, regarding my meeting with representatives from the Global Tamil Forum, I meet regularly with Sri Lankan and diaspora groups whose members represent a variety of ethnic backgrounds and viewpoints. Likewise, I meet with diaspora representatives from India, Bangladesh, Nepal and other South and Central Asian nations. I also meet regularly with a variety of non-governmental organizations to hear their perspectives on a range of issues. And, of course, I communicate frequently with government officials from all countries in the region. U.S. policy is not crafted in a vacuum. I and my colleagues at the State Department and at U.S. Embassies listen to a variety of perspectives to gain a better understanding of issues in order to best determine our policy interests and positions. At the same time, we use these meetings as an opportunity to explain U.S. policy priorities.
Read more:http://www.island.lk/index.php?page_cat=article-details&page=article-details&code_title=22735
Assistant Secretary of State for Central and South Asia Robert O. Blake says in a letter to The Island in response to our recent reports on his meetings with members of the Global Tamil Forum etc that the US does not support separatism and he has never met individuals or organisations that espouse terror or violence.
Full text of the letter:
I would like to clear up some misinformation and inaccuracies reported in The Island over the past week concerning the meeting I held with Sri Lankans abroad and my plans to visit Sri Lanka.
First, regarding my meeting with representatives from the Global Tamil Forum, I meet regularly with Sri Lankan and diaspora groups whose members represent a variety of ethnic backgrounds and viewpoints. Likewise, I meet with diaspora representatives from India, Bangladesh, Nepal and other South and Central Asian nations. I also meet regularly with a variety of non-governmental organizations to hear their perspectives on a range of issues. And, of course, I communicate frequently with government officials from all countries in the region. U.S. policy is not crafted in a vacuum. I and my colleagues at the State Department and at U.S. Embassies listen to a variety of perspectives to gain a better understanding of issues in order to best determine our policy interests and positions. At the same time, we use these meetings as an opportunity to explain U.S. policy priorities.
Read more:http://www.island.lk/index.php?page_cat=article-details&page=article-details&code_title=22735
