The following statement was released in Washington, D.C. on December 27, 2005

On December 24, representatives of the Co-Chairs of the Sri Lanka Donors Group, from Japan, the European Community, Norway and the United Kingdom met with Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam leaders in Kilinochchi, Sri Lanka to urge an immediate end to violence and to encourage them to engage positively with the government in peace talks. The United States, also one of the Co-Chairs, reiterates this message in the strongest possible terms. We are deeply concerned about the continued erosion of Sri Lanka’s four-year old ceasefire as marked by the recent series of violent incidents.

The United States recognizes that a lasting peace in Sri Lanka can only be achieved by Sri Lankans. We call on both sides to embrace peace and work together to build a future for Sri Lanka that is prosperous and secure.