I rise today to remember the end of Sri Lanka’s civil war and call attention to the continued plight of the thousands of Sri Lankans who have been affected by the conflict. One year ago this week, after more than 25 years of violence, the Sri Lankan military declared victory in its major military offensive against the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE). In so doing, it brought an end to one of the most devastating civil wars of the century, offering the Sri Lankan people hope of a brighter future characterized by peace, reconciliation, and economic prosperity for all citizens.
This letter urges the US Congress Subcommittee on State, Foreing Operations and Related Programs to consider the inclusion of language that would restrict funding for Foreign Military Financing unless the Secretary of State can verify to the Committee that the Government of Sri Lanka has taken the necessary steps towards: investigating members of the civilian government and military for accusations of human rights violations ad holding them accountable, as necessary; providing journalists and humanitarian organizations access to all former conflict areas; and working to return internally displaced individuals to their homes. It also urges the Committee to support language encouraging increased accountability and transparency of US and United Nations aid going to non-governmental organizations and other entities in Sri Lanka.
The letter encourages Sens. John Kerry (D-MA) and Richard Lugar (R-IN) to consider holding a hearing on the situation in Sri Lanka as a first step towards examining ways to slow Sri Lanka’s rapid democratic decline. In this letter TAPI expresses our strong concern about the direction of Sri Lanka following the January presidential election.
In this letter TAPI urges the Department of State to spearhead a coordinated effort within the US government and other voting parties to vote against the approval of the next tranche of approximately $330 million of IMF loan funds to Sri Lanka, and to suspend further support for this loan until key benchmarks are met. The IMF funding is essential to the budget of the Sri Lankan government and but this funding has yet to visibly address reconstruction and reconciliation activities within the country. The letter also encourages the Department of State to work with counter parts in India and Japan to pursue a more active regional approach to the situation taking place.
This letter suggests two policy initiatives that engage the international community to find a permanent solution to the conflict in Sri Lanka. First, it is imperative that the US government call for an independent commission to investigate the alleged war crimes that took place on both sides during the conflict so the perpetrators can be held accountable. Second, the Department of State should support the creation of a United Nations Commission that would establish a “solutions framework” that would include the participation of all key constituencies in Sri Lanka and delineate a “roadmap” for political, security, and development solutions.