SL to benefit from US foreign Military Financing program

COLOMBO(NEWS 1ST): Sri Lanka is to benefit from the US Government's Foreign Military financing program given that it upholds, multiple conditions introduced by the US Government's Amended Appropriation Act, dated 21st December this year. Under the US government's Foreign Military Financing Program, up to $15,000,000 may be made available for assistance for Sri Lanka for the refurbishing of a high endurance cutter: Provided, that in addition to such funds, up to $500,000 may be made available only for programs to support humanitarian assistance, disaster relief, instruction in human rights and related curricula development, and maritime security and domain awareness, including professionalization and training for the navy and coast guard: Funds appropriated by this Act for assistance for the central Government of Sri Lanka may be made available only if the Secretary of State certifies and reports to the US Committees on Appropriations, that such Government is taking effective and consistent steps to, (A) respect and uphold the rights and freedoms of the people of Sri Lanka regardless of ethnicity and religious belief, including by investigating violations of human rights and holding perpetrators of such violations accountable; (B) increase transparency and accountability in governance; (C) assert its sovereignty against influence by the People’s Republic of China; and (D) promote reconciliation between ethnic and religious groups, particularly arising from the past conflict in Sri Lanka, including by. (i) addressing land confiscation and ownership issues; (ii) resolving cases of missing persons, including by maintaining a functioning office of missing persons; (iii) reducing the presence of the armed forces in former conflict zones and restructuring the armed forces for a peacetime role that contributes to post-conflict 17 reconciliation and regional security; (iv) repealing or amending laws on arrest and detention by security forces to comply with international standards; and (v) investigating allegations of arbitrary arrest and torture, and supporting a credible justice mechanism: