What is Sri Lanka and USA SOFA Agreement

Sri Lanka and USA SOFA Agreement 

The US Secretary Micheal Pompeo proposed the Status Of Forces Agreement (SOFA) to the Sri Lankan Foreign Minister Tilak Marapana during his visit to Washington in May 2019

What is the Status Of Forces Agreement?

A status of forces agreement (SOFA) is an agreement between a host country (which is Sri Lanka here) and a foreign nation (which is the USA here) deploying military forces in that host country. 

SOFAs are often included, along with other types of military agreements, as part of a comprehensive security arrangement. 

A SOFA does not constitute a security arrangement; it establishes the rights and privileges of foreign personnel present in a host country in support of the larger security arrangement. Under international law, a status of forces agreement differs from military occupation.

Terms of operation

A SOFA is intended to clarify the terms under which the foreign military is allowed to operate. Typically, purely military operational issues such as the locations of bases and access to facilities are covered by separate agreements. A SOFA is more concerned with the legal issues associated with military individuals and property. This may include issues such as 

• entry and exit into the country
• tax liabilities 
• postal services 
• employment terms for host-country nationals 

but the most contentious issues are civil and criminal jurisdiction over bases and personnel. For civil matters, SOFAs provide for how civil damages caused by the forces will be determined and paid. Criminal issues vary, but the typical provision in U.S. SOFAs is that U.S. courts will have jurisdiction over crimes committed either by a servicemember against another service member or by a servicemember as part of his or her military duty, but the host nation retains jurisdiction over other crimes.

For this Japanese person protested against the US military who are stationed at Okinawa island for the Okinawa rape case in 1995 as the USA hasn't taken any strict action on there three military officers.

Acquisition and Cross-Servicing Agreement (ACSA)

This agreement also signs with the SOFA in which negotiation on a bilateral basis with United States allies or coalition partners that allow US forces to exchange the most common types of support, including food, fuel, transportation, ammunition, and equipment.

Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC): A bribe to accept SOFA agreement for Sri Lanka

As we all know that Sri Lanka is in big debt under the Chinese loan and had lost many of its lands and Hambantota port also. The US marks this an opportunity and offers $480 million to Sri Lankan PM Ranil Wickremesinghe under the MCC by the CEO of US government MCC Sean Cairncross 

What is MCC?

The Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) is a bilateral United States foreign aid agency established by the U.S. Congress in 2004, applying a new philosophy toward foreign aid. It is an independent agency separate from the State Department and USAID.

Conclusion

Till Now Sri Lanka hasn't signed the agreement, many ministers of Sri Lanka are showing concern towards SOFA like the Foreign Minister, but PM of Sri Lanka is very keen to accept this agreement.

As an election, are near in Sri Lanka, the government is busy the work and not able to decide it let see after results

Why is the USA interested in Sri Lanka

 Nowadays the Indian Ocean is a very strategic location and having control over the region gives the country more Geo-political hold on. As China already acquired much of there land by loans, on the other hand, the USA is planning to open its military base in Sri Lanka by the SOFA agreement.

India benefits to it 

If Sri Lanka agrees to this agreement India will surely be benefitted with the help of US military they will prevent China to take hold on the Indian Ocean