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United States & the struggle for Tamil Eelam

United States Congress Resolution on Sri Lanka
Congressional Record: September 18, 1995

ENCOURAGING THE PEACE PROCESS IN SRI LANKA

Mr. BEREUTER. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the resolution (H. Res. 181) encouraging the peace process in Sri Lanka. The Clerk read as follows:

H. Res. 181

Whereas, the United States has enjoyed a long and cordial friendship with Sri Lanka;

Whereas as one manifestation of the warm ties between the United States and Sri Lanka, the First Lady of the United States visited Sri Lanka in April 1995;

Whereas Sri Lanka is a vibrant democracy whose government is committed to political pluralism, free market economics, and a respect for human rights;

Whereas the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (``LTTE'') have waged a protracted secessionist struggle in Sri Lanka for nearly 12 years;

Whereas an estimated 30,000 people have died in Sri Lanka as a result of these hostilities;

Whereas the Department of State's report on global terrorism names the LTTE as a major terrorist organization;

Whereas the LTTE is widely believed to have engaged in political assassinations, including the murder in 1994 of a leading candidate for the Sri Lankan presidency, and the killing in 1993 of President Ranasinghe Premadasa;

Whereas the government of President Kumaratunga initiated a dialogue with the LTTE in 1994, and took a number of other steps to ease tensions and set the stage for negotiations between the government and the LTTE, including lifting the ban on the transit of many commodities to Jaffna;

Whereas a cessation of hostilities in Sri Lanka went into effect on January 8, 1995;

Whereas 4 rounds of peace talks between the government and the LTTE took place; and

Whereas in April 1995, the LTTE withdrew from these negotiations and resumed military operations against the Government of Sri Lanka that have resulted in hundreds of casualties, including many innocent civilians:

Now, therefore, be it Resolved,

That the House of Representatives--

(1) notes with great satisfaction the warm and friendly relations that exist between the United States and Sri Lanka;

(2) applauds the commitment to democracy demonstrated by the Sri Lankan people, in defiance of brutal acts of wanton terrorism;

(3) commends the Sri Lankan people and the Government of Sri Lanka for the significant improvements in Sri Lanka in the area of human rights;

(4) applauds the cessation of hostilities in early 1995 between the Government of Sri Lanka and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (``LTTE'') and deplores the resumption of fighting;

(5) calls on the LTTE to desist in its resort to arms, and to return to the negotiating table;

(6) calls on all parties to negotiate in good faith with a view to ending the current armed strife in Sri Lanka and to finding a just and lasting political settlement to Sri Lanka's ethnic conflict while assuring the territorial integrity of Sri Lanka;

(7) believes that a political solution, including appropriate constitutional structures and adequate protection of minority rights, is the path to a comprehensive and lasting peace in Sri Lanka;

(8) denounces all political violence and acts of terrorism in Sri Lanka, and calls upon those who espouse such methods to reject these methods and to embrace dialogue, democratic norms, and the peaceful resolution of disputes;

(9) calls on all parties to respect the human rights of the Sri Lankan people; and

(10) states its willingness in principle to see the United States lend its good offices to help resolve the ethnic conflict in Sri Lanka, if so desired by all parties to the conflict.

---

The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from Nebraska [Mr. Bereuter] will be recognized for 20 minutes, and the gentleman from Maryland [Mr. Wynn] will be recognized for 20 minutes. The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Nebraska [Mr. Bereuter].

Mr. BEREUTER.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. (Mr. BEREUTER asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.) Mr. BEREUTER. Mr. Speaker, located at the southern tip of the South Asia subcontinent, the tiny Indian Ocean island nation of Sri Lanka has, for the last decade and a half, been the site of one of the bloodiest ethnic wars.

The conflict has pitted the separatist Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam--or Tamil Tigers--against the democratically elected government in Colombo, with at least 30,000--and possibly as many as 50,000--Sri Lankans of all ethnic persuasions perishing in this bloody conflict.

With both sides weary of the unrelenting bloodshed, a cessation of hostilities went into effect at the beginning of 1995, and the government and the Tamil rebels entered into a series of peace talks.

Regrettably, this peace that was short lived, and the Tamil Tigers unilaterally resumed their attacks on April 19. The recent attacks have been particularly brutal, with a pair of transport aircraft being shot down, and a fishing village burned to the ground with massive loss of life.

In retaliation, the government has launched its inevitable offensive against Tiger-held territory, with government forces cutting a broad swath through positions long controlled by the rebels, thereby causing hundreds of casualties and displacing thousands of noncombatants.

This pattern of rebel offensives and government counteroffensives is all to familiar. Over the past dozen years, this cycle has been repeated time and time again.

House Resolution 181 calls on the parties to break out of this vicious cycle of death and destruction. The resolution recognizes the good faith efforts of the Sri Lankan Government to work for peace, and commends the dramatic improvement in the government's human rights practices.

It also denounces all acts of violence and terrorism, regardless of the perpetrator.

House Resolution 181 calls on the parties to negotiate in good faith with a view to ending the conflict and finding a just and lasting peaceful settlement to the ethnic divisions while assuring the territorial integrity of Sri Lanka. The resolution also encourages the United States to lend its good offices to help in resolving the conflict, if so desired by the combating parties. Mr. Speaker, this resolution passed unanimously out of the International Relations Committee.

I would congratulate the ranking Democrat of the full committee, Mr. Hamilton, for his initiative in drafting this resolution.

First, it recognizes the very real efforts made by the ruling government to respect basic human rights and achieve a just peace. As House Resolution 181 notes, the resolution recognizes that improvements have indeed occurred.

Second, the resolution places the House squarely on the side of peace in a conflict that has been every bit as brutal as the war in Bosnia. Mr. Speaker, this Member is pleased to cosponsor the excellent resolution of [[Page H 9040]] the distinguished gentleman from Indiana [Mr. Hamilton] and would urge its passage.

This Member would also note the thoughtful and important contribution made by the distinguished chairman of the International Relations Committee, the gentleman from New York [Mr. Gilman]. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

{time} 1320 (Mr. WYNN asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.)

Mr. WYNN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I rise to urge support for this resolution. Sri Lanka has been wracked by a bloody civil war that has claimed the lives of at least 30,000, and perhaps as many as 50,000 people.

Sri Lanka is a country of only 18 million people. If the United States lost a comparable number of people, 730,000 Americans would have been killed.

Last winter the democratically elected President of Sri Lanka, President Kumaratunga opened a dialog with the insurgent Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam, known as the LTTE.

Unfortunately, after four rounds of talks, the LTTE withdrew from the negotiations this past April and resumed military operations against the government--without provocation and in violation of the cease-fire.

Since the breakdown of the talks in April, the fighting has been heavy, producing many casualties, not only among the combatants but also among the civilian population. Last month, the Sri Lankan Government, in an effort to reach out to the minority Tamil community, unveiled a plan that provides for a significant devolution of power to the provinces. It is not for us to pass judgment on the merits of this or any other plan, but I think we can all applaud this effort to settle Sri Lanka's problems politically rather than militarily.

House Resolution 181 calls on the LTTE to return to the negotiating table, and urges all parties to negotiate in good faith with a view to finding a just and lasting political resolution to Sri Lanka's ethnic conflict.

It does not take sides in the conflict, but it does call for a political settlement that provides adequate protection for minority rights.

It does not commit the United States to any specific course of action, but it does indicate our willingness, in principle, to see the United States lend its good offices to help resolve the conflict, if this is desired by all parties. This resolution has bipartisan support. It has the support of the administration as well. I want to commend the chairman of the Asia and Pacific Subcommittee, Mr. Bereuter, and the ranking member, Mr. Berman, who have worked closely with me as cosponsors of this resolution. I urge my colleagues to put the House on record in support of a peaceful resolution of this ongoing tragedy in Sri Lanka. I urge a ``yea'' vote on House Resolution 181.

Mr. GILMAN.

Mr. Speaker, I commend the chairman of the Asia and Pacific Subcommittee, Mr. Bereuter, and the ranking minority member, Mr. Berman, for their work on this resolution. And I commend the ranking minority member, Mr. Hamilton for his efforts in crafting the resolution.

The conflict in Sri Lanka has gone on for nearly 12 years and so many lives--some 30,000--have been lost. The LTTE took the promising young life of Rajiv Gandhi and in 1994 a bomb attack killed the opposition presidential candidate along with more than 50 others.

The State Department's human rights report for 1994 concludes that the government has used excessive force in the conflict. As the resolution suggests, the United States could play a role in resolving the crises if the two disputing parties desire it. It is believed that the current government of President Kumaratunga is serious about working with the LTTE is finding a mutually agreeable solution. If our Government can play a role it would be an honor for all of us to help end the bloodshed. Accordingly I urge my colleagues to support House Resolution 181.

Mr. BEREUTER. Mr. Speaker, I have no further requests for time, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. WYNN. Mr. Speaker, I have no further requests for time, and I yield back the balance of my time.

The SPEAKER pro tempore.

The question is on the motion offered by the gentleman from Nebraska [Mr. Bereuter] that the House suspend the rules and agree to the resolution, House Resolution 181. The question was taken; and (two-thirds having voted in favor thereof) the rules were suspended and the resolution was agreed to. A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.

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