In a bi-partisan statement addressed to the US Secretary of State, 9 members of the US Congress have called upon their government to “actively seek support” for the passage of the current UN resolution as well as to ensure that “accountability and institutional reform in Sri Lanka” remains “a priority on the international stage”.

The statement highlights that over the past year, the administration has “elevated individuals implicated in war crimes to senior governmental posts; reversed key democratic reforms and consolidated power behind the office of the president; obstructed efforts to investigate and prosecute perpetrators of war crimes; promoted majoritarian and exclusionary rhetoric; engaged in surveillance and harassment of human rights advocates; and, allegedly, employed security forces to abduct and torture dissidents”.

The statement goes on to note “reports of ongoing human rights abuses persist, with impunity for past and continuing crimes by state security forces and heavy militarization of Tamil areas”.

The statement was addressed to Secretary of State, Antony Blinken, who has previously commented extensively on Sri Lanka.

See more in our feature: Antony Blinken and Sri Lanka – A look at the new US Secretary of State

The statement was led by Congresswoman Deborah Ross and signed by James P. McGovern, Bill Johnson, Brad Sherman, David N. Cicilline, Danny K. Davis, Ted W. Lieu, Steve Cohen, and Ilhan Omar.

The UN Human Rights Council is set to vote on the resolution on Monday 22 March.

Read the full joint statement here.