SOFA allows US forces entry to Sri Lanka at anytime – Kalinga Indatissa
Posted on July 5th, 2019
Courtesy Adaderana
Signing the Status of Forces Agreement (SOFA) allows the forces of the United States to enter into Sri Lanka at anytime, says the President of Bar Association of Sri Lanka and President’s Counsel Kalinga Indatissa.
The BASL president stated this during a discussion held with the Leader of the Opposition with regard to the SOFA, Acquisition and Cross-Servicing Agreement (ACSA) and Millennium Challenge Corporation agreement that are to be signed with the government of the United States.
The discussion was held at the office of the Opposition Leader with a group of members of the BASL yesterday (04).
If the SOFA is signed terrorists are given the opportunity to act freely in the country, the BASL president commented further.
Furthermore, even if the US forces engage in offences of any sort, Sri Lankan law cannot be enforced on them, he added.
Meanwhile, the State Minister of Defence, issuing a statement, said that the government of Sri Lanka does not have any intention of signing such agreements.
July 5th, 2019 at 4:41 pm
This is true. It creates another Okinawa.
This government will not sign it has it is very unpopular and lacks agreement between the president and the parliament.
In most likelihood the next government will sign SOFA whoever that is unless the president and the PM are from rival political parties.