General Secretary of the Communist Party of Sri Lanka (CPSL), Dr. G. Weerasinghe said that the government must reveal whether it was CIA chief William J. Burns who visited Sri Lanka on 14 Feb.Dr. Weerasinghe said that a US delegation arrived in a special aircraft on 14 Feb, and their arrival and departure were closely guarded secrets.
“Most of those who came in did not present passports and were not subjected to standard immigration procedure. In essence, there are no records of some people who came in,” he said.
CPSL General Secretary said that many newspapers, of international repute, had reported that Burns was denied entry to Nepal, while coming from Sri Lanka, by the Kathmandu government.
“Reporting on this move by Nepal, the Indian Express says ‘it is learnt Burns returned home from Sri Lanka, the first leg of his South Asia trip after the Nepal government conveyed to the US Embassy in Kathmandu, that given the political developments, including the impending Presidential election, permission for the visit was being withheld.’ This was not reported here,” Dr. Weerasinghe said.
The CPSL General Secretary said that the government must reveal whom the CIA Director met and what had been discussed.
Dr. Weerasinghe said that Indian media had reported that Burns was to fly from Sri Lanka in a special C-17 Globemaster III along with several officials on 15 Feb., for an 18-hour stay in Kathmandu. Another two aircraft with some vehicles and “unspecified equipment,” meant for the US Embassy, had also been brought with the knowledge of the host government.