Sri Lankan Foreign Ministry Urges US Diplomats To Be More Objective

The Sri Lankan Ministry of External affairs today issued a statement saying that the diplomats who took part in the War Widows meeting should have been more objective.

The meeting was conducted to aid the families of the disappeared during the civil war. The meeting was stormed by a group of pro-government activists led by Buddhist monks and have allegedly threatened the families of the disappeared and the US diplomats who were present at the gathering.

Sri Lanka's foreign ministry hit back today, accusing the diplomats of "lacking in objectivity" by favoring Tamils over the Sinhalese majority and fueling mistrust and division between the communities.

"The ministry wishes to point out that, once again, a certain section of the diplomatic corps appears to be involved in a manner lacking in objectivity, in events organized for a particular region and community," the ministry said in the statement.

The ministry warned the diplomatic community to "be more conscious of local sensitivities when attending events of an emotive nature."

Meanwhile, the Sri Lankan government has extended the term of the Disappearances Commission up to February 15, 2015.

The US embassy had accused police of supporting the mobs who it said "behaved threateningly" towards the families from Sri Lanka's former northern war zone. (with inputs from Hindustan times)