Apr 10, Colombo: Freedom House, an independent non-governmental organization that supports the expansion of freedom in the world issuing a statement on the situation in Sri Lanka has recommended removing Sri Lanka from the list of eligible recipients for Millennium Challenge Account (MCA) assistance.
"The serious human rights abuses and excessive restrictions on freedom of speech and association by the government of Sri Lanka merit the country’s removal from a list of eligible recipients for US Millennium Challenge Account (MCA) assistance," it said.
Freedom House assessments of political rights and civil liberties are included in the Millennium Challenge Commission’s analysis.
Sri Lanka met eligibility requirements for funding from the MCC in 2004 and was included in the eligible list for MCC development aids, but the eligible countries need to improve and maintain the humanitarian conditions of the country to obtain the grants.
While condemning the brutal conduct of the war by the LTTE, Freedom House is deeply troubled by the actions of the government which has imposed restrictions on freedom of expression, harassed nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) that question government policy, and committed serious ongoing human rights abuses, the statement noted.
Freedom House said that the country’s political rights and civil liberties declined this year because of heightened political intimidation by the LTTE, increased harassment of the media, and higher levels of violence directed at members of the Tamil ethnic minority by both sides in the conflict.
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