[Congressional Record Volume 146, Number 71 (Friday, June 9, 2000)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E945]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                       CONDEMNING LTTE TERRORISM

                                 ______
                                 

                       HON. CONSTANCE A. MORELLA

                              of maryland

                    in the house of representatives

                         Thursday, June 8, 2000

  Mrs. MORELLA. Mr. Speaker, as Co-chair of the Sri Lanka Caucus, I am 
increasingly concerned about the situation in that South Asian nation.
  The democratic government of Sri Lanka has been under attack for more 
than 25 years, the subject of an especially vicious campaign by the 
Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE). The LTTE purports to represent 
the interests of the minority Tamils and seeks an independent homeland 
in the north of the country. The Tigers have appropriately been 
identified by the State Department as a terrorist organization.
  The LTTE's tactic of indiscriminate suicide terrorist bombings have 
succeeded mostly in killing and maiming dozens of innocent civilians at 
a time, occasionally succeeding in taking out their target.
  Yesterday, such an attack, attributed to the Tamil Tigers, killed the 
Minister for Industrial Development, C.V. Gooneratne, and at least 20 
other people. At least 60 people were injured, including Mr. 
Gooneratne's wife, who was critically hurt. I strongly condemn this 
terrorist act; I express my condolences to all who suffered losses.
  And regrettably this was only the most recent such attack. Last year 
President Kumaratunga was wounded in a suicide bomber terrorist attack 
at a campaign rally; that bombing and one at another rally left 22 
people dead and more than 100 wounded.
  In a statement yesterday, the State Department stated, ``The LTTE's 
legacy of bombing, assassinations, massacres and torture has alienated 
the people of Sri Lanka and the international community, and has done 
nothing to promote the legitimate needs and aspirations of the Sri 
Lankan Tamils. The LTTE must abandon these methods if it hopes to play 
a constructive role in ending the conflict.'' I am pleased by the 
strength of this condemnation, and I am in full agreement with it.
  I hope that my colleagues will join me and Congressman Pallone, my 
fellow Sri Lanka Caucus co-chair, and other Members of the Caucus in 
condemning LTTE terrorism and supporting the people of Sri Lanka in 
their effort to combat terrorism and maintain a united democratic 
nation.

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