[Congressional Record Volume 169, Number 119 (Wednesday, July 12, 2023)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E662]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




        RECOGNIZING THE ARREST OF MR. GAJENDRAKUMAR PONNAMBALAM

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. JAMIE RASKIN

                              of maryland

                    in the house of representatives

                        Wednesday, July 12, 2023

  Mr. RASKIN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in solidarity with Mr. 
Gajendrakumar Ponnambalam, a member of the Parliament of Sri Lanka. Mr. 
Ponnambalam has recently been subjected to harassment and wrongful 
detention by Sri Lankan law enforcement. Despite video evidence 
contradicting the official account and lack of an official arrest 
warrant, Mr. Ponnambalam was arrested for behaving in an unruly manner 
towards state intelligence officers during a public meeting. 
Fortunately, he was released on bail shortly after his arrest.
  While I am glad to hear of Mr. Ponnambalam's release, his harassment 
by Sri Lankan authorities remains highly troubling, and is part of a 
stream of attacks on minority members of the Sri Lankan parliament. Mr. 
Ponnambalam is a member of the minority Tamil ethnic group who has 
advocated for the marginalized and spoken at the United Nations Human 
Rights Council about the killing of Tamil journalists. Other members of 
the Sri Lankan parliament have faced harassment because of their 
activism over the past few months on the destruction of Tamil places of 
worship, militarization in the Northeast, and other crimes against 
members of the Tamil ethnic group.
  Mr. Speaker, we must stand with the victims of human rights 
violations in their advocacy for their rights. I hope my colleagues 
will join me in expressing support for Mr. Ponnambalam and in calling 
for the Sri Lankan government to commit to democratic values and 
practices.

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