Government of Sri Lanka’s Withdrawal from Ceasefire Agreement

The United States is troubled by the Sri Lankan Government’s January 2 decision to terminate the 2002 cease-fire agreement. Ending the cease-fire agreement will make it more difficult to achieve a lasting, peaceful solution to Sri Lanka’s conflict. We call on both the government and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam to avoid an escalation of hostilities and further civilian casualties.

All parties to the conflict share the responsibility to protect the rights of all of Sri Lanka’s people. We urge them to work toward the goal of a just, political solution that ensures the rights of minority communities and benefits all Sri Lankans. Only a peaceful political solution, not a military one, offers a way out of the current cycle of escalating violence.