by Saman Indrajith

The US even before sending its State Secretary Mike Pompeo to Sri Lanka has issued a veiled threat that Sri Lanka had to decide with what foreign powers it should align itself, says the JVP, demanding the Rajapaksa government to explain its stance on US bullying.

JVP National Organiser Bimal Ratnayake addressing the media at the party headquarters in Pelawatte, yesterday, said the US State Department had commenced cranking up pressure on Sri Lanka days ahead of Pompeo’s visit. “Principal deputy assistant secretary at State Department’s Bureau of South and Central Asian Affairs, Dean Thompson, told media there that Sri Lanka should make the ‘difficult but necessary choices’ in selecting its friends.

“This was said last week while announcing Pompeo’s visit to Sri Lanka this week as part of a wider trip that includes India, the Maldives and Indonesia. Pompeo comes here just five days ahead of the US presidential election. There is a critical situation in the US and Sri Lanka and the world around. In that context, his visit should be of high importance. The US sent its Air Force’s Globemaster III aircraft which could transport 134 army personnel and vehicles to Katunayake Airport a few days back. Who landed here from that flight? It is clear that Pompeo comes here to threaten this country and make it accept US agenda in Asia Pacific. Before sending Pompeo here the State Department has done everything to prevent any possible rejection by the Sri Lankan government, which should explain to the people how it would stand up to this kind of bullying.

“Pompeo’s visit comes days after the government got the 20th Amendment to the Constitution passed in Parliament. The US foreign policy is full of threats and blackmailing. The other danger is the threat from the Millennium Challenge Corporation agreement with the US. Although people here have voted against the MCC, the MCC office in Colombo is still functioning. The threat is still there and the US is bent on forcing the government to sign the compact.”