US Peace Corps returns to Sri Lanka amid growing military ties

In a ceremony in Colombo today, 19 US Peace Corps Volunteers were sworn in, marking the second cohort of volunteers to return to Sri Lanka since the program’s relaunch in 2023.

The initiative will see volunteers come and teach English in schools across the Central and Uva provinces, and comes amid growing ties between Washington and Colombo.

The Peace Corps Volunteers reportedly underwent 12 weeks of training in Sinhala or Tamil as well as “Sri Lankan culture”.

Speaking at the ceremony, US Ambassador Julie Chung said “The Peace Corps program exemplifies the essence of people-to-people diplomacy… By working hand in hand with Sri Lankan communities, they advance education, promote mutual understanding, and help build bridges that empower young people in both our nations to shape a brighter future.”

The relaunch of the Peace Corps program comes against the backdrop of increasing US-Sri Lanka cooperation. The original Peace Corps program was shut down in 1998 due to “political instability,” though Peace Corps have intermittently returned since.

The US has significantly increased military ties with Sri Lanka in recent years, including joint military exercises and defence agreements. This growing partnership has been criticised for overlooking Sri Lanka’s human rights abuses, particularly those targeting Tamils, and the lack of accountability for war crimes committed during the final stages of the armed conflict.

The deployment of Peace Corps Volunteers to areas far outside the North-East—where Tamils continue to struggle with systemic discrimination and military occupation— also raises concerns about the selective focus of the latest initiative.