US Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi, co-chair of the Congressional Caucus on Ethnic and Religious Freedom in Sri Lanka, has introduced a bi-partisan resolution into the US House of Representatives which calls on Sri Lanka to 'implement structural reforms' and 'recognise the thousands of civilians that were killed, forcibly disappeared or missing' during the final stages of the armed conflict.
The simple resolution, H. RES. 1493, was tabled on 25 November after it was referred to the Committee on Foreign affairs.
The resolution opens by expressing the House's acknowledgement that the root causes of Sri Lanka conflict remain "largely unresolved" and stresses that the Sri Lankan Government has failed to create "a sustainable peace" despite giving assurances that the government would deliver on accountability. Instead, the Sri Lankan government has engaged in "heavy militarisation of the north and east Provinces".
The resolution continues that despite repeated engagement from the governments of the 'United States, India and other friends of Sri Lanka', the state has failed to address "longstanding issues of accountability and reconciliation related to the root causes of the country’s ethnic conflict". The resolution further stressed the need to end land appropriations and to provide restitution for those affected by the military's land grabs.
The resolution then details the numerous factors which have contributed to the island's economic downturn and highlights "outsized expenditure on the military" and "corruption" as key contributing factors.
The resolution urges that the Sri Lankan President "reach a consensus on major issues with opposition parties [to] address longstanding issues [...] relating to human rights, disenfranchisement, accountability and reconciliation and work toward a political solution".
The resolution further maintains the need for "significant structural reforms" and to "address corruption and vulnerabilities" which included "outsized expenditures on the military". It further stressed the need to 'repeal the Prevention of Terrorism Act', which they state is 'used to target peaceful political opposition and detain indefinitely without charge and harass minorities, activists and journalists'.
Commenting on the resolution, Krishnamoorthi stated:
“My resolution expresses the House of Representatives' support for the people of Sri Lanka in their continued pursuit of peace, democracy, prosperity, and accountability for the conflicts which have ravaged their country. Further, it reaffirms that the nation’s government must recognize and defend the political and economic rights of all its people, including members of ethnic and religious communities whom previous regimes have deliberately targeted and oppressed".
Congressman Bill Johnson added
“I’m proud to co-lead this resolution with Rep. Krishnamoorthi. As a co-chair of the Congressional Caucus on Ethnic and Religious Freedom in Sri Lanka, I have long advocated for increasing civil and human rights for all ethnicities and religions in Sri Lanka who are being excluded from society, the economy, and political life through discrimination, harassment, and persecution”.
“I am hopeful that it encourages the Sri Lankan government to take positive, visible, and concrete actions to provide greater transparency, increased human rights, and accountability for past alleged war crimes and violations of human and civil rights.”
People for Equality and Relief in Lanka (PEARL) wrote in response to the legislation;
"We appreciate the leadership of Congressman Krishnamoorthi and Congressman Johnson on this resolution, which is an important step in recognizing accountability for Sri Lanka’s historic and ongoing human rights violations as a necessary component in moving the island past its current economic and political crises”.
They further add:
“As emphasized throughout the resolution, in this critical moment, bilateral engagement between the United States and Sri Lanka must embrace solutions that meaningfully address the Tamil people’s longstanding demands for justice, demilitarization, land returns, and a sustainable political solution.”
Read the full resolution here.