[Congressional Record Volume 164, Number 84 (Tuesday, May 22, 2018)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E705]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                       SRI LANKAN REMEMBRANCE DAY

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. BRAD SHERMAN

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                         Tuesday, May 22, 2018

  Mr. SHERMAN. Mr. Speaker, I rise in recognition of the Day of 
Remembrance for Sri Lankan communities around the world. Remembrance 
Day is generally observed on May 18 or May 19, to remember and mark the 
sacrifices made by all those who died, irrespective of their ethnicity, 
in Sri Lanka's civil war.
   For many, who have family and loved ones in Sri Lanka, there is 
still not closure, because those they lost are not accounted for.
   The Sri Lankan government has acknowledged the receipt of at least 
65,000 complaints of such disappearances.
   Independent assessments provided by the human rights community 
estimate that between 60,000 and 100,000 individuals have disappeared 
since 1980.
   The victims included human rights workers, those providing 
humanitarian assistance, journalists, critics of the government, 
community leaders, and many others. Abductions and enforced 
disappearances have been perpetrated by state and non-state actors.
   The Tamil people have been disproportionately impacted by these 
crimes, and their families deserve to know the truth. All of the 
families deserve closure.
   Despite some action, the Sri Lankan government has still made 
limited progress and more needs to be done.

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