[Congressional Record Volume 156, Number 78 (Friday, May 21, 2010)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E911]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




      THE FIRST ANNIVERSARY OF THE END OF THE SRI LANKAN CIVIL WAR

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                          HON. DAVID E. PRICE

                           of north carolina

                    in the house of representatives

                          Friday, May 21, 2010

  Mr. PRICE of North Carolina. Madam Speaker, I rise today to remember 
the end of Sri Lanka's civil war and call attention to the continued 
plight of the thousands of Sri Lankans who have been affected by the 
conflict.
  One year ago this week, after more than 25 years of violence, the Sri 
Lankan military declared victory in its major military offensive 
against the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE). In so doing, it 
brought an end to one of the most devastating civil wars of the 
century, offering the Sri Lankan people hope of a brighter future 
characterized by peace, reconciliation, and economic prosperity for all 
citizens.
  Unfortunately, this hope has yet to be realized. The Sri Lankan 
military's final offensive against the LTTE left hundreds of thousands 
of civilians--most of them Tamils--dislocated, deprived of basic 
necessities, and without effective legal or political recourse. Since 
the end of the conflict, the Sri Lankan government has blatantly and 
repeatedly defied the demands of the international community and 
commonly accepted norms of justice and human rights by failing to 
reintegrate large numbers of Tamil citizens, denying access by 
journalists and humanitarian organizations to conflict-affected areas, 
and detaining former combatants indefinitely.
  It has also become apparent that the Sri Lankan military may have 
committed serious abuses during the fighting itself, including the 
indiscriminate shelling of areas designated as civilian safe zones. A 
growing number of respected human rights organizations--including the 
International Crisis Group, Amnesty International, and Human Rights 
Watch--have called for an independent international investigation into 
potential war crimes, yet the Sri Lankan government has yet to open any 
meaningful inquiry into the allegations.
  On this anniversary of the end of the civil war, I call on the 
government of Sri Lanka to act earnestly and expeditiously to grant 
safe passage home to the approximately 80,000 Tamil civilians who 
remain confined to camps, provide ex-combatants with appropriate legal 
recourse and a path toward reintegration, and end its restrictions on 
humanitarian and media organizations. It is also past time for the 
international community to pursue real accountability, including a 
credible, independent investigation into the potential abuses committed 
during the 2009 conflict. I urge the Obama Administration to play a 
leading role in this effort by calling for an investigation at the 
United Nations and maintaining current restrictions on U.S. foreign 
assistance to Sri Lanka until the government has demonstrated credible 
progress toward meeting the international community's demands.
  If we do not act soon, this moment of opportunity for lasting peace, 
justice and reconciliation--which seemed so promising one year ago--may 
slip away forever.

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