US Ambassador calls for unity, plans support

Saturday, 27 April 2019 00:39 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

US Ambassador to Sri Lanka Alaina B. Teplitz called for unity in the wake of the Easter Sunday terrorist attacks that killed at least 359 innocent people, including four US citizens.

Noting the progress Sri Lanka had made in building trust and ties among people of different faiths and ethnicities over the last few years, she urged Sri Lankans to remain unified.

“These terrible attacks are the work of a few individuals and not of an entire community,” Ambassador Teplitz said. “Sri Lankans of all backgrounds and faiths have come together to condemn these atrocities. Unity is the most powerful answer to terrorism.”

Teplitz stated that President Trump’s offer of assistance was both concrete and significant: expert teams from the US Federal Bureau of Investigation and the US Indo-Pacific Command (USINDOPACOM) are providing support to the Sri Lankan-led investigation into the attacks, at the behest of the Sri Lankan Government. These teams are working side-by-side with Sri Lankan law enforcement officials in forensics and crime scene investigations.

The Embassy is working to determine ways in which we can assist Sri Lanka’s communities in coming together in the aftermath of this tragedy.

“We want to provide all possible support to Sri Lanka’s efforts and are assisting at the invitation of the Government,” the Ambassador added. “Conspiracy theories about the involvement of the US military draw attention away from where it should be focused, which is firmly on the victims and their families.”

The cooperation is part of the growing partnership between the United States and Sri Lanka. Security is a key component of that partnership. “As a close friend to Sri Lanka, we are heartbroken by these attacks. We’re committed to helping Sri Lanka emerge from this crisis stronger and more unified.”