[Congressional Bills 113th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 587 Introduced in House (IH)]
113th CONGRESS
2d Session
H. RES. 587
Expressing support for internal rebuilding, resettlement,
accountability, and reconciliation within Sri Lanka so that Sri Lankans
from all ethnic and religious communities may benefit from the end of
the country's 26-year civil war.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
May 19, 2014
Mr. Holt (for himself, Mr. Johnson of Ohio, and Mr. Tierney) submitted
the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on
Foreign Affairs, and in addition to the Committee on the Judiciary, for
a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for
consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the
committee concerned
_______________________________________________________________________
RESOLUTION
Expressing support for internal rebuilding, resettlement,
accountability, and reconciliation within Sri Lanka so that Sri Lankans
from all ethnic and religious communities may benefit from the end of
the country's 26-year civil war.
Whereas May 19, 2014, marks the 5-year anniversary of the end of the 26-year
conflict between the terrorist Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE),
and the Government of Sri Lanka;
Whereas the people of Sri Lanka suffered greatly as a result of this conflict,
the impact and aftermath of which has been felt especially by women,
children, and families;
Whereas the Government of Sri Lanka established a Lessons Learnt and
Reconciliation Commission (LLRC) to recommend measures to prevent the
recurrence of conflict in the future and promote further national unity
and reconciliation among all communities;
Whereas the LLRC report acknowledges important events and grievances that
contributed to decades of political violence and civil war in Sri Lanka
and makes constructive recommendations on a wide range of issues,
including the need to credibly investigate widespread allegations of
extrajudicial killings and enforced disappearances, demilitarize the
north and the country as a whole, reach a political settlement with
minority communities on the meaningful devolution of power, promote and
protect the right to freedom of expression for all, including the
enactment of a right to information law,;
Whereas and enact rule of law reforms;
Whereas implementation of the LLRC report's recommendations would contribute to
the process of national reconciliation in Sri Lanka;
Whereas the Government of Sri Lanka, has repeatedly invoked the LLRC as a
domestic mechanism to address issues arising from the war's conclusion,
but has simultaneously distanced itself from many of the LLRC's final
recommendations;
Whereas in the almost 4 years since the tabling of the LLRC report in Sri
Lanka's Parliament, very few of its recommendations have been
successfully implemented, forcing the United Nations Human Rights
Council in March 2014, to pass a resolution calling for the Office of
the High Commissioner for Human Rights to conduct a comprehensive
investigation into allegations of serious violations and abuses of human
rights;
Whereas the LLRC noted that the failure of successive governments to implement
the ``critical recommendations of past commissions gives rise to
understandable criticism and skepticism regarding Government appointed
Commissions from which the LLRC has not been spared'';
Whereas the Government of Sri Lanka has made progress on resettlement of
displaced persons and improvements to infrastructure in the North and
East;
Whereas the United States Department of State's 2012 Human Rights Report on Sri
Lanka outlines ongoing concerns regarding landownership and property
restitution, including instances where large numbers of persons have not
received restitution for land that remains part of government high
security zones;
Whereas the continued military presence on private lands is preventing the full
resettlement of internally displaced persons who desire a return to
peaceful life;
Whereas the September 21, 2013, elections in Sri Lanka for the Northern,
Central, and North Western Provincial Councils were a good first step in
devolving power to the provinces, though providing all councils with the
ability to make their own development and policing decisions would
enhance the impact of such elections;
Whereas the President of Sri Lanka committed to a political solution with
implementation of the country's 13th amendment to bring about lasting
peace and reconciliation in Sri Lanka as codified in the Sri Lankan
Government supported 2009 United Nations Human Rights Council resolution
S-11/Assistance to Sri Lanka in the Promotion and Protection of Human
Rights;
Whereas negotiations on a political solution to the conflict between officials
from the Sri Lanka Freedom Party and the Tamil National Alliance ended
unsuccessfully in 2011 after the government walked away;
Whereas reconciliation is a long-term process that will need to be led by the
Sri Lankan Government and driven by the people of Sri Lanka, including
civil society and nongovernmental organizations;
Whereas the removal of the country's chief justice, decreasing space for
dissent, continued militarization throughout the country, and
intimidation of journalists and critics of the government have created a
sense of impunity and creeping authoritarianism within Sri Lanka;
Whereas there have been repeated reports of attacks on places of worship and
those practicing their faith, restrictions on the media throughout Sri
Lanka, and few instances in which the perpetrators of such attacks have
been held to account;
Whereas there have been numerous unaddressed allegations of arbitrary detention,
sexual violence, torture, and abuse of detainees by police and security
forces in Sri Lanka's north and east during the end of the war, and
which are ongoing and have increased after the war;
Whereas the United States Department of State's 2012 Human Rights Report on Sri
Lanka also includes reports of serious human rights violations such as
unlawful killings by security forces and government-allied paramilitary
groups;
Whereas progress on investigations into reports of war crimes, crimes against
humanity, and other human rights violations during the conflict and
promoting reconciliation would facilitate enhanced United States
engagement, bilateral trade, and investment in Sri Lanka and coincide
with United States policy that such commissions of inquiry have been
instrumental in providing accountability and redressing wrong doing
during periods of internal strife; and
Whereas the United States is home to a large Sri Lankan diaspora, including
Sinhalese, Tamils, and Muslims, who have become an integral part of
United States society: Now, therefore, be it
Resolved, That the House of Representatives--
(1) calls on the Government of Sri Lanka to implement the
constructive recommendations of the Lessons Learnt and
Reconciliation Commission (LLRC) in a credible, transparent,
and expeditious manner;
(2) recognizes that the LLRC report has not adequately
addressed issues of accountability for possible war crimes and
crimes against humanity that may have been committed by the
Government of Sri Lanka and the terrorist Liberation Tigers of
Tamil Eelam (LTTE);
(3) commends the representatives of the United States on
their leadership on United Nations Human Rights Council
Resolution (UNHRC) A/HRC/25/L.1.Rev.1, adopted by the UNHRC on
March 27, 2014, establishing an Office of the High Commissioner
for Human Rights investigation into allegations of war crimes,
crimes against humanity, and other human rights violations
committed by both sides during and after the war in Sri Lanka
and to make recommendations regarding accountability;
(4) recommends that the United States Department of State
place restrictions on entry to the United States for anyone it
identifies as responsible for war crimes and crimes against
humanity;
(5) encourages the Government of Sri Lanka to work with and
accept the support of civil society and local and foreign
agencies that can support the causes of reconciliation and
accountability, including the Office of the United Nations High
Commissioner for Human Rights in its investigation;
(6) calls for the Government of Sri Lanka to allow for
greater media freedoms and ensure the freedom and protection of
the press and of religion;
(7) urges the Government of Sri Lanka to provide for
freedom of movement and allow humanitarian organizations and
international human rights groups greater access to war-
affected individuals, including rehabilitated ex-LTTE cadres
and those detained;
(8) acknowledges the end of the war and calls on the
Government of Sri Lanka to prioritize the process of
demilitarization throughout the country, including removing
military involvement from civilian administration;
(9) calls on members of the Tamil National Alliance to
acknowledge past relationships with the LTTE and make a firm
commitment to reconciliation and a long-term political solution
that would ensure for a peaceful and unified Sri Lanka;
(10) urges the government of the ruling party to begin
negotiations with the Tamil National Alliance on a political
solution from where those talks stopped in 2011; and
(11) acknowledges the importance for all parties to reach a
lasting political settlement on the meaningful devolution of
power consistent with the recommendations of the LLRC and
acceptable to all sides.
<all>