US calls on Sri Lanka "to turn the page on its past"

May 18, 2009, 18:04 GMT

Washington - The United States called on Sri Lanka Monday to promote a political environment that protects the rights of all Sri Lankans now that the civil war with Tamil separatists appears to be over.

The 25-year-old bloody conflict came to an end after the Tamil rebels announced they were surrendering and the government declared victory after intense fighting in recent weeks that took a heavy tool on civilians.

'Now is the time for the government to engage Tamil, Sinhalese, and other Sri Lankans to create a political arrangement that promotes and protects the rights of all Sri Lankans,' State Department acting spokesman Ian Kelly said.

Kelly welcomed an end to the fighting that resulted in the defeat of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), which is listed by the State Department as a terrorist organization.

'This is an opportunity for Sri Lanka to turn the page on its past and build a Sri Lanka rooted in democracy, tolerance, and respect for human rights,' he said.

The international community must now focus on helping the people who have been affected by the conflict, and calls on the government to provide relief for the 280,000 people who have been displaced and are living in camps, Kelly said.