[Congressional Bills 106th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 228 Introduced in House (IH)]







106th CONGRESS
  1st Session
H. RES. 228

  Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives regarding the 
 peace process in Colombia and calling on the government and all other 
 parties to the current conflict in Colombia to take steps to advance 
the peace process so as to end the ongoing violence which continues to 
  pose a serious threat to democracy, human rights, and economic and 
                    social stability in that nation.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             June 29, 1999

Mr. Gallegly (for himself, Mr. Ackerman, Mr. Ballenger, Mr. Gejdenson, 
    Mr. Delahunt, Mr. Farr of California, and Mr. Davis of Florida) 
submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee 
                       on International Relations

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION


 
  Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives regarding the 
 peace process in Colombia and calling on the government and all other 
 parties to the current conflict in Colombia to take steps to advance 
the peace process so as to end the ongoing violence which continues to 
  pose a serious threat to democracy, human rights, and economic and 
                    social stability in that nation.

Whereas a civil war has raged in Colombia for 50 years and the dramatic 
        expansion of drug production has exacerbated the violence and 
        contributed to prolonging the conflict;
Whereas on June 21, 1998, close to eleven million Colombians went to the polls, 
        in a clear affirmation of the democratic process, to cast their vote for 
        a mandate for peace;
Whereas as a result of the political violence Colombia suffers from one of the 
        worst human rights situations in the hemisphere today with an estimated 
        70,000 people killed, with more than 300,000 refugees created in the 
        last three years, and some 1,000,000 Colombians internally displaced as 
        a direct result of the fighting over the last decade;
Whereas the violence has resulted in the deaths of at least 30 human rights 
        defenders, the recent murder of 3 United States citizens and the 
        kidnapping of 2 more, the disappearance of 3 United States missionaries 
        in 1995, and countless assassinations and threats against other human 
        rights workers, professors, intellectuals, and academic researchers;
Whereas the operations of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC), the 
        National Liberation Army (ELN), and the various paramilitary units have 
        become increasingly dependent upon, and interconnected with, the illicit 
        narcotics trade;
Whereas the instability in Colombia resulting from the conflict has hindered 
        efforts to eradicate narcotics production and has enabled a freer flow 
        of illicit drugs from Colombia to the United States;
Whereas the continued insurgency of the FARC and ELN guerrillas and the extreme 
        violence of the paramilitaries ultimately poses a major threat to the 
        very democracy of Colombia, historically one of the strongest and most 
        resilient in the hemisphere, and to the stability of the region;
Whereas international private sector leaders have urged support for the peace 
        process as a means of encouraging investment and revitalization of 
        Colombia's economy; and
Whereas a negotiated settlement is the only long-term solution for ending the 
        internal conflict in Colombia and for protecting United States interests 
        in the region: Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved, That the House of Representatives--
            (1) commends the people of Colombia for their continued 
        demonstration of support for the democratic process as well as 
        for an end to the internal conflict plaguing that nation;
            (2) commends President Andres Pastrana for his strong 
        commitment to seek an end to the guerrilla insurgency and 
        paramilitary violence in Colombia and for his efforts to begin 
        a peace process;
            (3) commends the Colombian Government and military 
        leadership for their initial steps toward removing from the 
        armed forces officers found to be linked to illegal and 
        unacceptable activities of paramilitaries;
            (4) condemns the violations of human rights, including 
        murder and kidnappings, that continue in Colombia, particularly 
        the murder at the hands of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of 
        Colombia (FARC) guerrillas of 3 United States citizens, the 
        disappearance of 3 United States missionaries in territory 
        controlled by the FARC, and the recent mass kidnappings and 
        hijackings by the National Liberation Army (ELN), which 
        resulted in 2 United States citizens being taken hostage;
            (5) urges the leaders of the FARC and the ELN, and the 
        leaders of the paramilitary groups, to end the violence, agree 
        to suspend all kidnappings, release all hostages, renounce 
        their relationships with the narcotics trade, and negotiate a 
        meaningful peace accord with the Government of Colombia which 
        would provide lasting peace, a reaffirmation of the democratic 
        principles of government, and economic and social justice for 
        all Colombians;
            (6) urges the Government of Colombia to rapidly and 
        effectively implement a program to help protect threatened 
        human rights workers;
            (7) encourages the FARC and the Government of Colombia to 
        agree to the establishment of an international observer group 
        which would monitor the ``despeje'' zone and report on new or 
        existing illegal narcotics activities and human rights abuses 
        in that zone;
            (8) urges the FARC to demonstrate its renunciation of the 
        narcotics trade by verifiably eradicating coca cultivation in 
        10,000 hectares of the ``despeje'' zone and by cooperating with 
        the Government of Colombia in converting those hectares to the 
        cultivation of substitute legal crops;
            (9) welcomes the agreement between the FARC and the 
        Government of Colombia to create a commission to investigate 
        and provide a final report on the fate of the 3 United States 
        missionaries of the New Tribes Mission missing in Colombia;
            (10) calls upon the international community to play a more 
        active role in helping to resolve the internal conflict in 
        Colombia by encouraging all sides to participate in the peace 
        process; and
            (11) reaffirms the support of the United States for the 
        peace process in Colombia, commits the United States to assist 
        the Government of Colombia in finding a peaceful resolution to 
        the internal conflict, continues to support United States 
        assistance to help strengthen political stability and economic 
        growth, and continues to cooperate with all segments of 
        Colombian society who demonstrate a clear and unequivocal 
        commitment to combating the drug trade within Colombia.
                                 <all>