[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 158 (2012), Part 8]
[House]
[Pages 10722-10723]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                               SRI LANKA

  (Ms. SCHAKOWSKY asked and was given permission to address the House 
for 1 minute.)
  Ms. SCHAKOWSKY. I rise today to mark the third anniversary of the end 
of the civil war in Sri Lanka and to urge the U.S. Government to 
continue to press for full accountability for all human rights abuses 
committed during the conflict.
  Over 70,000 Sri Lankans were killed in the course of the 26-year 
civil war.

[[Page 10723]]

The United Nations found claims that both sides committed war crimes to 
be credible, and although the war ended 3 years ago, human rights 
violations are reportedly continuing. Reports suggest that over 50 
people--mostly critics of the government--have been abducted in the 
last 6 months. Human rights activists have been targeted for harassment 
and labeled as traitors in the national media. Gender-based violence is 
on the rise in the country's north.
  Mr. Speaker, the international community must continue to call for 
accountability for the crimes during the conflict, and we must urge the 
Colombo government to uphold its international commitments and fully 
respect the human rights of all Sri Lankans.

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