[Congressional Record Volume 160, Number 23 (Thursday, February 6, 2014)]
[Senate]
[Page S825]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




SENATE RESOLUTION 348--EXPRESSING SUPPORT FOR THE INTERNAL REBUILDING, 
RESETTLEMENT, AND RECONCILIATION WITHIN SRI LANKA THAT ARE NECESSARY TO 
                         ENSURE A LASTING PEACE

  Mr. BURR (for himself, Mr. Casey, Mr. Leahy, Mr. Brown, Mrs. Boxer, 
and Mr. Cornyn) submitted the following resolution; which was referred 
to the Committee on Foreign Relations:

                              S. Res. 348

       Whereas May 19, 2013, marks the four-year anniversary of 
     the end of the 26-year conflict between the 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 report 
     whether any person, group, or institution directly or 
     indirectly bears responsibility for incidents that occurred 
     between February 2002 and May 2009 and to recommend measures 
     to prevent the recurrence of such incidents in the future and 
     promote further national unity and reconciliation among all 
     communities;
       Whereas the LLRC report was presented to the Sri Lankan 
     Parliament on December 16, 2011, and officially translated 
     into Sinhala and Tamil on August 16, 2012;
       Whereas the LLRC report acknowledges important events and 
     grievances that have contributed to decades of political 
     violence and 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; enforced disappearances; intentional 
     targeting of civilians and noncombatants; demilitarizing the 
     north and the country as a whole; reaching a political 
     settlement with minority communities on the meaningful 
     decentralization of power; and promoting and protecting the 
     right to freedom of expression for all through the enactment 
     of a right to information law and additional rule of law 
     reforms;
       Whereas the Government of Sri Lanka developed the National 
     Plan of Action to implement just 82 of the 285 
     recommendations of the LLRC in August 2011, and although the 
     Government of Sri Lanka has made some progress on 
     rehabilitation, resettlement of displaced persons, and 
     improvements of infrastructure in the North and East, there 
     are still many issues of major concern;
       Whereas the Government of Sri Lanka has yet to reasonably 
     address issues of reconciliation and accountability through 
     internal processes;
       Whereas the Department of State's 2012 Human Rights Report 
     on Sri Lanka outlines ongoing concerns regarding 
     landownership and property restitution, particularly in the 
     Jaffna Peninsula, where large numbers of persons have not 
     received restitution for land that remains part of government 
     high security zones, and while citizens generally were able 
     to travel almost anywhere in the island, there continues to 
     be police and military checkpoints in the north, and defacto 
     high-security zones and other areas remained off limits to 
     citizens;
       Whereas the Government of Sri Lanka has not taken tangible 
     steps toward demilitarization of civilian functions, 
     particularly in the North and East, and continued military 
     presence on private lands in the North is preventing the 
     resettlement of internally displaced persons who desire a 
     return to peaceful life;
       Whereas the 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, often in predominantly 
     Tamil areas; torture and abuse of detainees by police and 
     security forces; and arbitrary arrest and detention by 
     authorities;
       Whereas the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) 
     resolution supported by the United States and adopted by the 
     UNHRC on March 21, 2013, expresses concern at the continuing 
     reports of violations of human rights in Sri Lanka, including 
     enforced disappearances, extrajudicial killings, torture, and 
     violations of the rights to freedom of expression, 
     association, and peaceful assembly, as well as intimidation 
     of and reprisals against human rights defenders, members of 
     civil society and journalists, threats to judicial 
     independence and the rule of law, and discrimination on the 
     basis of religion or belief;
       Whereas the Government of Sri Lanka expressed its 
     commitment to addressing the needs of all ethnic groups and 
     has recognized, in the past, the necessity of a political 
     settlement and reconciliation for a peaceful and just 
     society; and
       Whereas tangible progress on domestic and international 
     investigations into reports of war crimes, crimes against 
     humanity, and other human rights violations during and after 
     the conflict and promoting reconciliation would facilitate 
     enhanced United States engagement and investment in Sri 
     Lanka: Now, therefore, be it
       Resolved, That the Senate--
       (1) commends the representatives of the United States on 
     their leadership on United Nations Human Rights Council 
     Resolution (UNHRC) 22/1, adopted by the UNHRC on March 21, 
     2013, which promotes reconciliation and accountability in Sri 
     Lanka;
       (2) calls on the United States and the international 
     community to establish an independent international 
     accountability mechanism to evaluate reports of war crimes, 
     crimes against humanity, and other human rights violations 
     committed by both sides during and after the war in Sri 
     Lanka;
       (3) urges the Government of Sri Lanka to allow unimpeded 
     access for media, international aid agencies, and human 
     rights groups into all regions of the country, as well as to 
     detention sites that may hold political and war prisoners;
       (4) urges the Government of Sri Lanka to end its media 
     restrictions, including the obstacles to the flow of 
     information in the North and East, and bring to justice those 
     responsible for attacks on journalists and newspaper offices; 
     and
       (5) calls upon the President to develop a comprehensive 
     policy towards Sri Lanka that reflects United States 
     interests, including respect for human rights, democracy and 
     the rule of law, economic interests, and security interests.

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