[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>