U.S. monitoring situation

By Sridhar Krishnaswami

WASHINGTON, MAY 13. In the face of escalating fighting in Jaffna, the Clinton administration has said it was watching the situation carefully while saying there were conflicting reports on what is happening in the peninsula. Washington, at the same time, in taking note of the ongoing peace efforts has said it was willing to facilitate a process, if asked to.

``We are watching the situation closely. We continue to encourage an end to violence, continue to encourage a negotiated political settlement that will provide dignity and security for all Sri Lankans while preserving Sri Lankan unity,'' the State Department spokesman, Mr. Richard Boucher, said.

Asked if anyone from the State Department was directly in touch with Sri Lanka or India, Mr. Boucher said, ``we have been, obviously, in close touch with the Sri Lankan Government. We have an Embassy and an Ambassador out there. The Government of Norway, we know, has been consulting with the parties involved in the conflict and we've encouraged those efforts. The Government of India has offered to mediate if asked by both parties and we have actually made clear that we would be willing to facilitate a process if we were asked.''

The administration was in touch with ``other interested countries'' which included India, Norway and the United Kingdom. ``... we'll continue our contacts with concerned countries in the hope of reaching a political solution here,'' he added.

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