[Congressional Bills 110th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 516 Introduced in House (IH)]







110th CONGRESS
  1st Session
H. RES. 516

    Expressing the serious concern of the House of Representatives 
            regarding the worsening situation in Sri Lanka.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             June 25, 2007

  Mr. Pallone (for himself and Mr. Weller of Illinois) submitted the 
 following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Foreign 
                                Affairs

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION


 
    Expressing the serious concern of the House of Representatives 
            regarding the worsening situation in Sri Lanka.

Whereas the Liberation of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) have been fighting the Government 
        of Sri Lanka since the 1970s for a separate homeland in Sri Lanka's 
        north and east for minority Tamils;
Whereas thousands of innocent civilians have already been killed and more 
        continue to die in Sri Lanka as a result of the ethnic conflict between 
        the LTTE and the Government of Sri Lanka;
Whereas families in the north and east of Sri Lanka live in constant fear, 
        anxiously hoping for their safety;
Whereas the LTTE is designated in the United States as a Foreign Terrorist 
        Organization;
Whereas 25 years of terrorism have not improved the lives of the Tamil people in 
        Sri Lanka;
Whereas there is no military solution to the conflict;
Whereas fighting has steadily worsened over the past year despite the fact that 
        a 2002 cease-fire between the rebels and the government is still 
        technically in place;
Whereas peace talks have been stalled since 2003;
Whereas Sri Lanka is Asia's oldest democracy and remains a close friend of the 
        United States;
Whereas the United States remains concerned about the upsurge of violence, 
        including abductions and killings of humanitarian aid workers, over the 
        past year and the deteriorating human rights situation; and
Whereas the United States has a strategic interest in promoting peace in Sri 
        Lanka and throughout South East Asia: Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved,  That the House of Representatives--
            (1) expresses its serious concerns regarding the worsening 
        situation in Sri Lanka;
            (2) strongly urges the LTTE to revoke violence as a means 
        to achieve its political goals;
            (3) strongly supports that all pertinent parties, including 
        the main Tamil political parties, resume peace talks 
        immediately;
            (4) calls upon all parties to negotiate a political 
        settlement that will be fair to all of the ethnic communities 
        living in the country, including Sinhalese, Tamils, and 
        Muslims; and
            (5) recommends the President to further United States 
        involvement to help secure a lasting peace.
                                 <all>