[Congressional Record Volume 148, Number 91 (Tuesday, July 9, 2002)]
[Senate]
[Pages S6506-S6507]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                  STATEMENTS ON SUBMITTED RESOLUTIONS

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   SENATE RESOLUTION 300--ENCOURAGING THE PEACE PROCESS IN SRI LANKA

  Mr. LUGAR submitted the following resolution; which was referred to 
the Committee on Foreign Relations:

                              S. Res. 300

       Whereas the United States has enjoyed a long and cordial 
     friendship with Sri Lanka;
       Whereas the people of Sri Lanka have long valued political 
     pluralism, religious freedom, democracy, and a respect for 
     human rights;
       Whereas the Government of Sri Lanka and the Liberation 
     Tigers of Tamil Eelam have waged a protracted and costly war 
     for the past 19 years;
       Whereas an estimated 65,000 people have died in Sri Lanka 
     as a result of these hostilities;
       Whereas the war has created an estimated 1,000,000 
     displaced persons over the course of the conflict;
       Whereas 19 years of war have crippled the economy of the 
     north and east of Sri Lanka and resulted in low growth rates 
     and economic instability in the south of Sri Lanka;
       Whereas the economic impact of the conflict is felt most 
     severely by the poor in both the north and the south of Sri 
     Lanka;
       Whereas efforts to solve the conflict through military 
     means have failed and neither side appears able to impose its 
     will on the other by force of arms;
       Whereas the Government of Norway has offered and been 
     accepted by the parties of the conflict to play the role of 
     international facilitator;
       Whereas an agreement on a cease-fire between the Government 
     of Sri Lanka and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam was 
     signed by both parties and went into effect February 23, 
     2002; and
       Whereas both the Government of Sri Lanka and the Liberation 
     Tigers of Tamil Eelam have agreed to meet for peace talks in 
     Thailand: Now, therefore, be it
       Resolved, That the Senate--
       (1) notes with great satisfaction the warm and friendly 
     relations that have existed between the people of the United 
     States and Sri Lanka;
       (2) recognizes that the costly military stalemate that has 
     existed between the Government of Sri Lanka and the 
     Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam can only be resolved at the 
     negotiating table;

[[Page S6507]]

       (3) believes that a political solution, including 
     appropriate constitutional structures and adequate protection 
     of minority rights and cessation of violence, is the path to 
     a comprehensive and lasting peace in Sri Lanka;
       (4) calls on all parties to negotiate in good faith with a 
     view to finding a just and lasting political settlement to 
     Sri Lanka's ethnic conflict while respecting the territorial 
     integrity of Sri Lanka;
       (5) denounces all political violence and acts of terrorism 
     in Sri Lanka, and calls upon those who espouse or use such 
     methods to reject these methods and to embrace dialogue, 
     democratic norms, and the peaceful resolution of disputes;
       (6) applauds the important role played by Norway in 
     facilitating the peace process between the Government of Sri 
     Lanka and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam;
       (7) applauds the cooperation of the Government of Sri Lanka 
     and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam in lifting the 
     cumbersome travel restrictions that for the last 19 years 
     have hampered the movement of goods, services, and people in 
     the war-affected areas;
       (8) applauds the agreement of the Government of Sri Lanka 
     and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam in implementing the 
     Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission;
       (9) calls on all parties to recognize that adherence to 
     internationally recognized human rights facilitates the 
     building of trust necessary for an equitable, sustainable 
     peace;
       (10) further encourages both parties to develop a 
     comprehensive and effective process for human rights 
     monitoring;
       (11) states its willingness in principle to see the United 
     States lend its good offices to play a constructive role in 
     supporting the peace process, if so desired by all parties to 
     the conflict;
       (12) calls on members of the international community to use 
     their good offices to support the peace process and, as 
     appropriate, lend assistance to the reconstruction of war-
     damaged areas of Sri Lanka and to reconciliation among all 
     parties to the conflict; and
       (13) calls on members of the international community to 
     ensure that any assistance to Sri Lanka will be framed in the 
     context of supporting the ongoing peace process and will 
     avoid exacerbating existing ethnic tensions.

  Mr. LUGAR. Mr. President, I rise today to submit a resolution 
encouraging the ongoing peace process in Sri Lanka. It was recently 
announced that Norway has agreed to mediate a new round of peace talks. 
The peace process brings hope that a continued commitment to democracy 
and human rights might be realized through lasting peace.
  The roots of the current crisis began in the early 1800's when Sri 
Lanka fell subject to British colonial rule. Indian Tamil laborers were 
brought to Sri Lanka to develop and maintain numerous plantations. This 
practice doubled the number of Tamils in Sri Lanka and further 
diversified the population. In 1948, Sri Lanka gained its independence 
from Britain and rose above bitter communal and religious issues and 
established a democratize government.
  Regrettably, issues of language and alleged government bias propelled 
this once peaceful nation into brutal civil war. The Liberation Tigers 
of Tamil Eelam became the leading rebel group in the struggle against 
the government. Over the last two decades, an estimated sixty-five 
thousand people have been killed and one million have been displaced by 
the fighting. The nation once referred to as the ``pearl upon the brow 
of India'' has become known as the ``fallen tear.''
  The situation is not without hope. The people of Sri Lanka demand 
peace and with the assistance of Norway, the sides have once again 
returned to the negotiating table. Past failures shed some light on the 
difficult path that lies ahead and the tremendous work that lies before 
Norwegian mediators. Norway's offer to mediate talks was accepted in 
1999. By keeping the negotiations secret, Norway has gained the 
cautious trust and respect of both sides. The fighting has ceased, and 
negotiations are planned to begin in Thailand in the near future.
  One of my constituents, the Reverend Paul Jahn, and the Indiana-
Kentucky Conference have placed a critical role in bringing peace to 
Sri Land. Reverend Jahn and the conference have dedicated a significant 
amount of time and effort to this important effort. They have raised 
significant amounts of funding for various relief efforts in Sri Lanka 
and continue to make valuable contributions to the peace process. I 
want to thank Reverend Jahn, a minister at St. Peter and Trinity United 
Church of Christ in Lamar, IN, and the Conference for suggesting the 
important role this resolution could play in expressing American 
support for the peace process.
  I urge the Congress, through this resolution, to express its support 
for these efforts and to encourage both sides to resolve their 
differences as expeditiously as possible. The United States finds 
itself at a time when our international responsibilities are great, and 
yet it remains essential that we continue to support the realization of 
peace and democracy wherever it exists. To do this, I urge my 
colleagues to adopt this resolution, and show our support for Norwegian 
mediators as they endeavor to make it possible for Sri Lanka to enjoy 
the virtues that have made our nation, and so many nations around the 
world, just and free.

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