{"id":108698,"date":"2020-11-15T16:07:54","date_gmt":"2020-11-15T23:07:54","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/?p=108698"},"modified":"2020-11-15T16:07:54","modified_gmt":"2020-11-15T23:07:54","slug":"the-pohottuwa-government-of-sri-lanka-part-2-c8h","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/2020\/11\/15\/the-pohottuwa-government-of-sri-lanka-part-2-c8h\/","title":{"rendered":"THE POHOTTUWA GOVERNMENT OF SRI LANKA Part 2 C8h"},"content":{"rendered":"

KAMALIKA PIERIS<\/em><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n

This\nessay lists four set of objections raised against the three US treaties, by four\nseparate organizations in Sri Lanka. They are objecting from different\nperspectives and they all show opposition to US rule in Sri Lanka.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In July 2019, Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna held a news conference\nto protest against the two agreements. It was observed at this conference that\nthere have been many problems wherever SOFA is signed by the US with other\ncountries. An army base will come up in any country that signs a SOFA. We have\na trained, experienced and world-recognized armed force which could meet any\nsituation. We do not have any need to get military assistance from any country,\nsaid SLPP.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In July 2019 the Bar Association of Sri Lanka (BASL) requested a\nmeeting, with the President and Prime Minister to clarify certain concerns they\nhad regarding these agreements. BASL also met\nOpposition Leader Mahinda Rajapaksa to discuss the ACSA and the proposed SOFA\nand the Land Bill. They discussed action they could jointly take to protest\nover the ACSA and urge the government not to go ahead with the SOFA. BASL\nPresident Indatissa warned that if the SOFA was signed, Sri Lanka would become\na target of anti-American terrorists. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ceylon Chamber of Commerce wrote\nto the Prime Minister in July 2019. The Chamber said, <\/em>The Ceylon\nChamber expresses its concern with regard to the increasing levels of\nspeculation among its Membership and society at large on the consequences\nsurrounding the proposed SOFA and MCC.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Chamber wants the government to clarify the exact position\nwith regard to the current status of these two Agreements. What is the current\nstatus of the negotiations and\/or execution of these agreements . The Chamber wants the government to be\ntransparent with respect to these agreements and their consequences. The\nChamber also wanted the agreements to be approved by Parliament. This will\nensure that the national interest is protected.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In July 2020\nLSSP leader Prof. Tissa Vitarana issued a statement where he strongly opposed\nSOFA, MCC and ACSA agreements with the US.”If these agreements become a\nreality, the USA can make Sri Lanka a military base and the whole country a\ncolony. If we agree to these terms we shall lose our independence, sovereignty\nand territorial integrity,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Therefore the\nGovernment should not under any circumstances sign the MCC agreement.  This agreement has the unusual requirement\nthat some of the conditions have to be implemented prior to signing the\nagreement, and it appears that these conditions are already being implemented.\nThese should all be stopped and reversed forthwith in the interest of our country\nand our people. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

ACSA and SOFA\nagreements are military agreements that are thrust on our countries by the USA.\nThe Acquisition and Cross Services Agreement (ACSA) is an agreement which\nallows American troops coming from outside to make use of our airports, harbors\nand military facilities and also engage in joint maneuvers with the Sri Lankan\nforces. They can also engage in bilateral and multilateral military\nexercises. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

 The\nStatus of Forces Agreements (SOFA) has been signed periodically with over 80\ncountries throughout the world by the USA. These can vary from country to\ncountry and from time to time. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

 In response to a question asked by the\nMahanayaka of the Malwatte Chapter on 24th May 2019, referring to the ongoing\ndiscussion between the UNP and USA Governments on the SOFA agreement, the US\nAmbassador to Sri Lanka, Ms. Teplitz, stated that it was “to allow US\nforces to tour the country and to conduct combined security operations”.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

 But in fact an unlimited number of US troops\nwill be allowed to enter Sri Lanka wearing uniform with guns in hand and\naccompanied by heavy armaments at any time they wish to come. They will be\ngiven all diplomatic privileges and whatever they bring cannot be examined by\nSri Lankan officials. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

 They have to be given access to enter any\ninstitution or premises that they desire to enter at any time. If they commit\nany crime they cannot be tried by Sri Lankan Courts, but only by Courts in the\nUSA. They are not liable to pay any taxes or duty on anything they import or\nexport. The American troops will be free to move to any part of the country, at\nany time without prior permission concluded Vitarana.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

USA\nRESPONSE<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

USA was so concerned about the virulent opposition to its\nAgreements that its Ambassador conducted a Face book live chat in July 2019 to\ncounter misinformation and disinformation that has been propagated about US-Sri\nLanka cooperation. The Ambassador emphasized that when the US extends support and\nassistance to the people of Sri Lanka, it is only at the invitation of the Sri\nLankan government. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Ambassador responded to public questions on the US-Sri Lanka\npartnership agreements, ACSA, MCC and SOFA. The\nAmbassador said that the MCC Compact would not be establishing an \u2018economic\ncorridor\u2019 between Colombo and Trincomalee.  \nUSA will not buy, sell, or own any actual land under the Compact,\neither. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

SOFA,   now re-branded as\nVisiting Forces Agreement (VFA) addresses the status of US military and civilian\nemployees of the US Department of Defense, who may be temporarily present in\nSri Lanka for exercises or official duty at the invitation of the Government of\nSri Lanka, said the Ambassador. The title \u2018VFA\u201d shows that US has no intention\nto build a military base or establish a permanent military presence in Sri\nLanka, she said. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

 The US Forces would only\ncome to Sri Lanka at the invitation of the Sri Lankan government and would then\ndepart. No troops – even under a VFA – would enter Sri Lanka without proper\ndocumentation and prior approval. Sri Lanka would retain all sovereign rights\nto approve or deny entry or exit of U.S. personnel, vessels, and aircraft into\nSri Lanka\u2019s territory and territorial waters\/airspace,   assured the Ambassador. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Regarding immunity\nof US defense personnel from Sri Lanka law, the Ambassador said that the two\ncountries would come to an advance agreement on how to deal with such incidents\nshould they arise. However, the draft VFA is still under negotiation and has\nnot been concluded yet, she stated. US   said  in October that it will suspend talks on  SOFA  and take it up again after the Presidential\nelection of November 2019. ( Continued)<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

KAMALIKA PIERIS This essay lists four set of objections raised against the three US treaties, by four separate organizations in Sri Lanka. They are objecting from different perspectives and they all show opposition to US rule in Sri Lanka. In July 2019, Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna held a news conference to protest against the two […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":true,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[104],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-108698","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-kamalika-pieris"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/108698","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=108698"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/108698\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=108698"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=108698"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=108698"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}