The United States has agreed to help Sri Lanka improve human rights situation and strengthen the military justice institutions in ensuring the accountability within the military. The US ambassador to Sri Lanka Robert Blake said this at a human rights seminar held for the Sri Lankan Army Battalion Commanders in Colombo.

Expressing concern over escalation of violence, Ambassador Blake said it is virtually impossible to defeat a terrorist insurgency by military means alone.

He said a collective political strategy is required to eliminate terrorism where democracy, freedom of speech, independent media and a marketplace of ideas are vitals.

Blake said that the United States and Sri Lanka agreed earlier this year to bring together military justice experts from Sri Lanka and the United States to exchange information, perspectives and best practices.

As a result, military law professionals from the U.S. Pacific Command, in partnership with the American Embassy in Colombo, hosted a Military Law Exchange Program with the Sri Lankan Ministry of Defense to exchange ideas on ways to improve transparency, accountability and human rights in military justice.

Commander of the Sri Lankan Army Lt. General Fonseka, Head of Delegation of the International Committee of the Red Cross Toon Vandenhove, Executive Director of the Institute of Human Rights, Malathi Bodinagoda Ratwatte, Programme Manager of the Human Rights Committee of Sri Lanka Senaka Dissanayake and other military officers participated in the seminar.

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