US imposes strict anti-China and HR conditions on Sri Lanka

US financial support will be dependent on Sri Lanka asserting its sovereignty “against influence by China,” and improving human rights and promoting inter religious and ethnic reconciliation, a USD 900 billion spending bill before the congress stipulated.

The bill as amended by the US Senate mainly involves Coronavirus relief but also assistance to a number of foreign countries and other spending.

It was also revealed that future financial support for Sri Lanka will be available after the secretary of state certifies, among other things, that Sri Lanka acts to “assert its sovereignty against influence by the People’s Republic of China.”

The bill further stated that Sri Lanka should also promote reconciliation between ethnic and religious groups, increase transparency and accountability in governance, respect and uphold the rights and freedoms of the people of Sri Lanka regardless of ethnicity and religious belief” and bring perpetrators to justice.

US and Western interests have warned that China is getting developing countries into a ‘debt trap’ by giving loans without adequate feasibility to generate returns, unlike more seasoned multilateral lending agencies.

However, these conditions don't apply to any humanitarian or disaster relief, support to identify missing persons, improve human rights, promote fiscal transparency and sovereignty and international military education and training.

The US said it was also giving USD 15 million to refurbish a coast guard cutter and another half a million dollars to for programs to support humanitarian assistance, disaster relief, instruction in human rights and related curricula development, and maritime security and domain awareness, including professionalization and training for the navy and coast guard.