US condemns illegal disclosures
News sources in the United Kingdom on December 1 reported an alleged
State Department cable pertaining to Sri Lanka. The United States
strongly condemns the illegal disclosure of any classified information.
It threatens our national security, it undermines our efforts to work
with other countries to solve shared problems and it puts people's lives
in danger. It is an irresponsible and destructive act, the US Embassy in
Colombo said in a release. The release said as a matter of policy, the
Department of State does not comment on materials, including classified
documents, which may have been leaked.
"Although we cannot speak to the authenticity of any documents
appearing in the press, we can speak to the diplomatic community's
practice of cable writing. Cables reflect the internal day-to-day
analysis and candid assessments that feed foreign relations
deliberations. These cables are often preliminary and incomplete
interpretations of events, and they should not be seen as having
standing on their own or as representing US policy," it said. The
release added: "The United States policy on accountability in Sri Lanka
has been made clear many times by Ambassador Butenis, by visiting
officials, and through published statements.
We believe that in cases where allegations of possible violations of
human rights have been made,the primary responsibility for investigating
them lies with the sovereign national government. "We have consistently
expressed to the Government of Sri Lanka the importance of implementing
a credible and independent process through which individuals responsible
for violations of international human rights and humanitarian law are
held accountable for their actions. "We welcomed President Rajapaksa's
appointment of a Lessons Learnt and Reconciliation Commission (LLRC). |