110 HRES 516 IH: Expressing the serious concern of the House U.S. House of Representatives 2007-06-25 text/xml EN Pursuant to Title 17 Section 105 of the United States Code, this file is not subject to copyright protection and is in the public domain.

IV 110th CONGRESS 1st Session H. RES. 516 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

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.