[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 157 (2011), Part 9]
[Senate]
[Page 12825]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




               VIOLATIONS DURING THE SRI LANKAN CIVIL WAR

  Mr. BROWN of Ohio. Mr. President, this past spring marked the 2-year 
anniversary of the end of Sri Lanka's civil war. After more than two 
decades of fighting and estimated losses of far too many innocent 
people, Sri Lankans now seek to build a peaceful future from their 
recent violent past. The task will not be easy. Infrastructure must be 
rebuilt. Good governance must be established. Education, health care, 
and a thriving economy must be available for millions of citizens. And 
so, too, must there be accountability and investigation into alleged 
violations and abuses of international human rights.
  From July 1983 until May 2009, Sri Lanka's civil war claimed the 
lives of innocent civilians including children and women, seniors and 
students, many of whom may have fallen victim to violations of 
international human rights and humanitarian laws. The families of these 
victims deserve to know the truth about their loved ones' deaths. They 
need to know that those responsible for the atrocities and violations 
of basic human rights will be held accountable. This is the only way 
Sri Lanka can come to grips with its past as it moves forward toward 
its future.
  We have seen how accountability can lead to reconciliation for 
societies emerging from violent civil strife. South Africa and Northern 
Ireland are just two recent examples.
  The Report of the United Nations Secretary-General's Panel of Experts 
on Accountability In Sri Lanka, released on March 31, 2011, found 
``credible allegations, which if proven, indicate that a wide range of 
serious violations of international humanitarian law and international 
human rights law was committed both by the Government of Sri Lanka and 
the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), some of which would amount 
to war crimes against humanity.''
  This report further states that ``the conduct of the war represented 
a grave assault on the entire regime of international law designed to 
protect individual dignity during both war and peace.''
  Under international law, parties responsible for serious violations 
of international humanitarian or human rights law must be held 
accountable.
  In order to ensure that the Sri Lankan people receive the truth, an 
independent international inquiry must be established to investigate 
the credible reports of human rights abuses and humanitarian law 
violations by the LTTE and the Government of Sri Lanka.
  This position is shared by Amnesty International, and other 
international human rights organizations; the European Union; and the 
panel of experts who authored the U.N.'s Report on Accountability in 
Sri Lanka.
  Ignoring and denying abuse and accountability delays the progress of 
nation building and the creation of the stable, multiethnic democracy 
it seeks.
  A truly independent international investigation with credible 
accountability will give Sri Lanka the ability to reconcile its past 
and build a peaceful future. The people of Sri Lanka deserve to know 
the truth.

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