[Congressional Record Volume 161, Number 145 (Monday, October 5, 2015)]
[Senate]
[Pages S7120-S7121]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
SRI LANKA
Mr. CARDIN. Mr. President, I wish to address the situation in Sri
Lanka, a country that has endured a brutal civil war and is working to
address the difficult issues of accountability and reconciliation.
Following the historic elections in January and August, Sri Lanka has
a remarkable opportunity to economically integrate with the West and
build security ties. This relationship has great potential that we all
hope can be realized. But before we move forward on greater economic
and security cooperation, Sri Lanka must finally resolve longstanding
issues of accountability that have plagued the country since the end of
the war and engage in a credible and legitimate effort to reconcile
amongst all communities in the country: Sinhalese and Tamil, Muslim,
Christian, Hindu, and Buddhist.
Efforts by the last government to deal with war crimes allegations
were a sham, according to the U.N., according to the U.S. Government,
according to the victims and according to the current government in
Colombo. Justice has been mostly nonexistent for scores across the
country. Many Tamils do not trust the central government to administer
a genuine and credible domestic mechanism to provide real
accountability for crimes committed during the war. Many Sinhala
mothers want to know what happened to their sons who served in the
military. Many combatants and civilians remain unaccounted for,
necessitating a comprehensive effort to identify all missing persons.
On October 1, the U.N. Human Rights Council passed Resolution 25/1,
which is focused on accountability and reconciliation in Sri Lanka.
This resolution is not perfect, but if fully implemented, it provides
the most promising path forward since the end of the war. The
resolution leaves open the possibility for international judges and
prosecutors in Sri Lanka's judicial mechanism to promote
accountability. The current government has made clear that the
international role will be limited to providing technical assistance
and advice. As the U.S. works with Sri Lanka to implement the
resolution, I urge our diplomats to push for the most robust
international role in the accountability process. I also urge the Sri
Lankan Government to continue to act in good faith to ensure that any
accountability mechanism is seen as fair and just by all its citizens.
The U.S. led an effort to pass a 2014 U.N. Human Rights Council
resolution which mandated a report on war crimes allegations in Sri
Lanka. Earlier this month, the Office of the High Commissioner for
Human Rights released its report which documented ``a horrific level of
violations and abuses'' committed between 2002 and 2011. Among the
violations committed by Sri Lankan government forces, the separatist
Tamil Tigers, LTTE, and pro-government paramilitaries included in the
261-page report include enforced disappearances, extrajudicial
killings, torture, denial of humanitarian assistance, sexual violence,
indiscriminate shelling, and the recruitment of child soldiers.
The report also recommended a series of measures that Sri Lanka
should take to address these issues. For example the report recommends
that the Government of Sri Lanka integrate international judges and
prosecutors with an independent Sri Lankan investigative and
prosecuting body to try those accused of war crimes, implement security
sector reform, return land occupied by the military, strengthen witness
protection programs, and establish a national reparations policy in
consultation with victims and families.
Foreign Minister Mangala Samaraweera spoke a few weeks ago at the
30th session of the U.N. Human Rights Council in Geneva. His own very
welcome recognition of the depth of the institutional challenges and of
past failures is more than enough reason to insist on outside
involvement, particularly in investigations and witness protection.
Foreign Minister Samaraweera appears genuinely committed to
reconciliation. He recently announced the government's support for a
commission for truth, justice, reconciliation and nonrecurrence to help
victims understand what happened and help them attain justice. He
emphasized the government's commitment to an office on missing persons
based on the principle of the families' right to know what happened to
their loved ones. He announced the establishment of an office for
reparations for victims. Most notably he acknowledged that any judicial
mechanism for accountability will need to be designed through a wide
process of consultations involving all stakeholders to include support
from the international community.
Sri Lanka and its supporters in the international community expect
action, not more promises, on each of these fronts.
The political will expressed by the government for a democratic
future based on human rights and rule of law is something that should
be acknowledged and welcomed by the U.S., international community, and
all Sri Lankans. We have an obligation to support and foster this
vision. As a friend, we also have an obligation to identify
shortcomings as they arise throughout the process.
Moving forward, the U.S. can take several concrete measures to
support Sri Lanka's accountability process through the challenging days
ahead.
First, the U.S. should work to ensure that the commitments in the
current UNHRC resolution are fully implemented. Following the passage
of the resolution, the U.S. should push for the most robust
international role in the accountability process, to include
international judges and prosecutors.
Second, the United States can support efforts to ensure witness
protection inside of Sri Lanka. This could include the establishment of
special security force for witness protection, developed in close
coordination with leaders in the Tamil community.
Third, the U.S. military should urge its counterparts in the Sri
Lankan Armed Forces to play a constructive
[[Page S7121]]
role in the accountability process. I understand that there are many in
the Sri Lankan military who seek to clear the military's name so that
the institution can move forward. They should deliver on that
commitment.
Fourth, the U.S. should continue and expand programs that strengthen
civil society voices in Sri Lanka. The country now has a parliament
which is more disposed towards incorporating civil society into the
policymaking process. These advocates will be critical moving forward
on this as well as broader reconciliation efforts.
Finally, the U.S. should make clear that any accountability process
must include addressing violations committed by all sides in the
conflict: LTTE, the Sri Lankan military, and pro-government
paramilitary groups.
The goal of accountability is not revenge. The goal is to conduct a
process where all sides are provided a measure of justice that leads to
durable reconciliation and a marked departure from armed conflict. The
previous government's policies were a dangerous cocktail that were
slowly sliding Sri Lanka back into ethnic and religious strife. Today,
Sri Lanka's leaders have an important opportunity to move beyond this
divisive past. They say they want it and they have a plan on paper. Now
is the time to act. And I am prepared to support the efforts of
President Sirisena, Prime Minister Wickramasinghe, Opposition Leader
Sampanthan, and all Sri Lankans towards that end.
The High Commissioner for Human Rights Prince Zeid Ra'ad Al Hussein
said the credibility of the U.N. Human Rights Council is on the line in
Sri Lanka. I agree and would say that the same goes for the United
States. Our country has an important responsibility to finish the work
of diplomats in recent years and promote the strongest accountability
mechanism in Sri Lanka. Our credibility on human rights issues around
the world is at stake and will be watched closely by human rights
defenders and violators alike.
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