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UPDATE 1-US says Sri Lanka refuses visa for official after war crime accusations

Wed Fe !" #$1% & U'S' envoy for women(s issues )ad )o*ed to visit ne+t week & U'S'" *lannin, ri,)ts resolution" says visa denied & -overnment says not true" dates for visit not convenient .Adds Sri Lankan reaction/ 0y S)i)ar Anee1 and 2an,a Sirilal 34L4504" Fe ! .2euters/ - Sri Lanka )as refused a visa re6uest for a U'S' State De*artment official" t)e U'S' Em assy said on Tuesday" after Was)in,ton si,nalled it would *ro*ose a U'7' resolution a,ainst t)e Sout) Asian state over alle,ed war crimes' 8owever" Sri Lanka(s E+ternal Affairs 5inistry said t)e em assy(s statement 9was not a correct re*resentation of t)e facts9" addin, t)e dates for t)e *ro*osed tri* )ad not een convenient' Tensions rose after U'S' Assistant Secretary of State 7is)a 0iswal voiced frustration on Saturday over Sri Lanka(s failure to *unis) military *ersonnel res*onsi le linked to re*orted atrocities in a civil war t)at t)e 3olom o ,overnment won in #$$: a,ainst se*aratist Tamil re els' 0iswal" s*eakin, after a two-day visit to 3olom o" said Was)in,ton would *ut forward a t)ird U'7' )uman ri,)ts resolution a,ainst Sri Lanka in 5arc) to address t)e alle,ations ecause its ri,)ts climate )as een worsenin,' T)e U'S' Em assy said t)e Sri Lankan ,overnment )ad turned down a visa a**lication for 3at)erine 2ussell" t)e U'S' am assador-at-lar,e for ,lo al women(s issues" and it called t)e decision 9re,retta le9' 2ussell )ad een sc)eduled to visit Sri Lanka in line wit) )er mandate to *romote sta ility" *eace" and develo*ment y em*owerin, women *olitically" socially and economically' 9T)e United States will continue to raise im*ortant issues related to ,ender- ased violence" t)e im*act t)at t)e conflict )ad on families .*articularly female-)eaded )ouse)olds/" t)e need for ,reater economic em*owerment y women" and for ,reater *olitical *artici*ation y women across Sri Lanka"9 t)e em assy said in an emailed statement' 98U5A7 S8;ELDS9 0iswal said t)at durin, )er visit *eo*le in Sri Lanka(s former nort)ern war 1one referred to a ran,e of )uman ri,)ts a uses includin, t)e disa**earance of civilians' President 5a)inda 2a<a*aksa(s ,overnment" w)ic) finally crus)ed t)e re ellion of t)e Li eration Ti,ers of Tamil Eelam .LTTE/ #= years after it eru*ted" )as re<ected calls for an international in6uiry" sayin, t)is would e aimed only at *leasin, a lar,e Tamil dias*ora livin, in Western countries' Senior U'S' officials declined to say w)at would e in t)e *lanned resolution" ut em assy officials said it mi,)t re*eat t)e call for an international investi,ation in Sri Lanka' T)e E+ternal Affairs 5inistry on Wednesday said t)e relevant U'S' aut)orities were advised y t)e ministry t)at t)e dates *ro*osed for t)e visit were not convenient' 92esc)edulin, of a visit does not amount to refusal of a visa' T)e *osition was fully and clearly e+*lained to t)e U'S' Em assy"9 t)e ministry said in a statement' Sri Lanka )as re<ected U'S' criticism of its )uman ri,)ts record as 9,rossly dis*ro*ortionate9'

A U'7' *anel )as assessed t)at around %$"$$$ mainly Tamil civilians died in t)e final few mont)s of t)e war' 0ot) sides committed atrocities" ut army s)ellin, killed most victims" it concluded' 2a<a*aksa" s*eakin, at ;nde*endence Day cele rations on Tuesday" said unidentified forei,ners were tryin, to use 9nort)ern *eo*le9" a reference to et)nic Tamils" as 9)uman s)ields9' 9T)e invaders always came to our country s)eddin, oceans of crocodile tears' T)ey interfered ''' *uttin, forward claims to *rotect )uman ri,)ts" esta lis) democracy and t)e rule of law"9 )e said' .Writin, y S)i)ar Anee1> Editin, y 5ark 8einric) and Alison Williams/

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