JVP not in favor of extending defense pact with US

Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna yesterday expressed its strong opposition to extending the defense agreement with the United States that existed for ten years saying that it would be harmful for the country.

Speaking at a media briefing at the party headquarters General Secretary of the JVP Tilvin Silva said the government’s attempt to extend the Acquisition and Cross Service Agreement (ACSA) signed between Defense Ministries of the United States and Sri Lanka in March 2007 for another ten years is harmful to the country.

The ACSA signed by the then Sri Lankan Defense Secretary Gotabhaya Rajapaksa and U.S. Ambassador Robert Blake on 5 March 2007 allow the United States and Sri Lanka to transfer and exchange logistics supplies, support, and re-fueling services, either in kind or at cost, during peacekeeping missions, humanitarian operations and joint exercises.

The JVP Secretary said the party opposes the extension of agreement since it does not provide any practical benefit to Sri Lanka.

He explained that under the agreement Sri Lanka would have to support the U.S. in the event the U.S. get involved in a war with India or China but Sri Lanka will never have the need to use US facilities or their support in return since Sri Lanka will not get into wars with other countries.

“With this agreement we are bound to supply facilities whenever they need our help in their missions. As a country we don’t benefit by these kinds of agreements as we don’t interfere in wars with the other countries,” Silva said.

The JVP secretary requested the government not to extend the ACSA agreement with the U.S.

The United States has ACSA agreements with 102 other countries around the world.