[Congressional Record Volume 142, Number 10 (Thursday, January 25, 1996)]
[Senate]
[Page S390]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




      ON THE FORTY-EIGHTH ANNIVERSARY OF SRI LANKA'S INDEPENDENCE

 Mrs. FEINSTEIN. Mr. President, I rise today to bring some 
thought and consideration to the 48th anniversary of Sri Lanka's 
independence from colonial rule.
  Sri Lanka, which had been dominated by Portuguese, Dutch, and, of 
course, one and a half centuries of British rule, has emerged in the 
final decades of this century as a nation firmly committed to democracy 
and the rule of law.
  The last few years have brought tremendous gains for democracy and 
freedom throughout the world, and while we applaud the successes in 
Eastern Europe and the former Soviet Union, we should not overlook the 
progress this island of some 17 million citizens has made on its own.
  Since 1982, when J.R. Jayewardene was elected the first post-colonial 
president, Sri Lanka has held regular national elections notable for 
their peaceful transitions of power between its two major political 
parties: the United National Party [UNP] and the Sri Lanka Freedom 
Party [SLFP], or coalitions led by them.
  Sri Lanka's third presidential election was held on November 9, 1994 
with former Prime Minister Chandrika Kumaratunga winning with 62 
percent of the vote. Voter turn-out was an impressive 70.5 percent. The 
most recent parliamentary elections were held in Sri Lanka on August 
16, 1994, with the UNP and the SLFP winning a roughly equal number of 
seats.
  President Kumaratunga intends to continue with wide-ranging, 
significant economic reforms that are moving Sri Lanka away from state 
controls and subsidies to a more decentralized, market-oriented system. 
This has allowed Sri Lanka to maintain a significant 5 percent average 
annual growth rate throughout the last decade.
  Sri Lanka has also proven its commitment to providing for the basic 
human needs of its people. Since independence, successive Sri Lankan 
Governments have maintained a policy of free education from the primary 
level through the university level. The literacy rate, for both men and 
women alike, is an impressive 90 percent. The Sri Lankan Government 
also provides an extensive program of free health care, which includes 
child immunization. Sri Lanka boasts an average life expectancy of 70 
years and an infant mortality rate of 19/1000 which is highly 
remarkable for this region of the world.
  The United States has ties with Sri Lanka dating back to the 
nineteenth century, ties that have greatly strengthened since Sri 
Lanka's independence. We are now Sri Lanka's biggest trading partner 
with our annual bilateral trade standing at $1.4 billion. We also 
maintain ties to Sri Lanka through bilateral educational, information 
and cultural programs. The United States has a continuing, active Peace 
Corps Volunteer Program there, and has operated a Voice of America 
Station in Sri Lanka for more than 40 years.
  Unfortunately, Sri Lanka continues to experience the tragedies of 
political violence, resulting primarily from the Tamil insurgency in 
the North and, to a lesser extent, from a mainly Sinhalese group in the 
South. The news we hear about Sri Lanka here in the United States all 
too often focuses only on these ongoing conflicts, which have brought 
death and suffering to Sri Lanka for over 10 years.
  It is my hope that Sri Lanka will one day resolve its internal 
disputes and that peace will return to this nation which has 
demonstrated such an impressive commitment to democracy. President 
Kumaratunga has expressed her intention to seek a political solution to 
the ethnic conflicts and has announced a set of proposals aimed at 
devolving power to the regions. She has also reiterated her pledge to 
address minority grievances through dialog and negotiation.
  On the 48th anniversary of Sri Lanka's independence, I would like to 
express my support to President Kumaratunga as she works to determine a 
lasting solution to the ethnic conflicts in Sri Lanka. I share her hope 
that peace, reconciliation, and a system of nonviolent negotiation 
between all parties will soon prevail for the people of Sri 
Lanka.

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