IV 

113TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION H. RES. 587 

Expressing support for internal rebuilding, resettlement, accountability, and 

reconciliation within Sri Lanka so that Sri Lankans from all ethnic 

and religious communities may benefit from the end of the country’s 

26-year civil war. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

MAY 19, 2014 

Mr. HOLT (for himself, Mr. JOHNSON of Ohio, and Mr. TIERNEY) submitted 

the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Foreign 

Affairs, and in addition to the Committee on the Judiciary, for a period 

to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee 

concerned 

RESOLUTION 

Expressing support for internal rebuilding, resettlement, accountability, and reconciliation within Sri Lanka so that 

Sri Lankans from all ethnic and religious communities 

may benefit from the end of the country’s 26-year civil 

war. 

Whereas May 19, 2014, marks the 5-year anniversary of the 

end of the 26-year conflict between the terrorist Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), and the Government of Sri Lanka; 


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•HRES 587 IH 

Whereas the people of Sri Lanka suffered greatly as a result 

of this conflict, the impact and aftermath of which has 

been felt especially by women, children, and families; 

Whereas the Government of Sri Lanka established a Lessons 

Learnt and Reconciliation Commission (LLRC) to recommend measures to prevent the recurrence of conflict in 

the future and promote further national unity and reconciliation among all communities; 

Whereas the LLRC report acknowledges important events 

and grievances that contributed to decades of political violence and civil war in Sri Lanka and makes constructive 

recommendations on a wide range of issues, including the 

need to credibly investigate widespread allegations of 

extrajudicial killings and enforced disappearances, demilitarize the north and the country as a whole, reach a political settlement with minority communities on the meaningful devolution of power, promote and protect the right 

to freedom of expression for all, including the enactment 

of a right to information law,; 

Whereas and enact rule of law reforms; 

Whereas implementation of the LLRC report’s recommendations would contribute to the process of national reconciliation in Sri Lanka; 

Whereas the Government of Sri Lanka, has repeatedly invoked the LLRC as a domestic mechanism to address 

issues arising from the war’s conclusion, but has simultaneously distanced itself from many of the LLRC’s final 

recommendations; 

Whereas in the almost 4 years since the tabling of the LLRC 

report in Sri Lanka’s Parliament, very few of its recommendations have been successfully implemented, forcVerDate Mar 15 2010 01:47 May 20, 2014 Jkt 039200 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6300 E:\BILLS\HR587.IH HR587

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•HRES 587 IH 

ing the United Nations Human Rights Council in March 

2014, to pass a resolution calling for the Office of the 

High Commissioner for Human Rights to conduct a comprehensive investigation into allegations of serious violations and abuses of human rights; 

Whereas the LLRC noted that the failure of successive governments to implement the ‘‘critical recommendations of 

past commissions gives rise to understandable criticism 

and skepticism regarding Government appointed Commissions from which the LLRC has not been spared’’; 

Whereas the Government of Sri Lanka has made progress on 

resettlement of displaced persons and improvements to 

infrastructure in the North and East; 

Whereas the United States Department of State’s 2012 

Human Rights Report on Sri Lanka outlines ongoing 

concerns regarding landownership and property restitution, including instances where large numbers of persons 

have not received restitution for land that remains part 

of government high security zones; 

Whereas the continued military presence on private lands is 

preventing the full resettlement of internally displaced 

persons who desire a return to peaceful life; 

Whereas the September 21, 2013, elections in Sri Lanka for 

the Northern, Central, and North Western Provincial 

Councils were a good first step in devolving power to the 

provinces, though providing all councils with the ability 

to make their own development and policing decisions 

would enhance the impact of such elections; 

Whereas the President of Sri Lanka committed to a political 

solution with implementation of the country’s 13th 

amendment to bring about lasting peace and reconciliVerDate Mar 15 2010 01:47 May 20, 2014 Jkt 039200 PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6300 E:\BILLS\HR587.IH HR587

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•HRES 587 IH 

ation in Sri Lanka as codified in the Sri Lankan Government supported 2009 United Nations Human Rights 

Council resolution S–11/Assistance to Sri Lanka in the 

Promotion and Protection of Human Rights; 

Whereas negotiations on a political solution to the conflict between officials from the Sri Lanka Freedom Party and 

the Tamil National Alliance ended unsuccessfully in 2011 

after the government walked away; 

Whereas reconciliation is a long-term process that will need 

to be led by the Sri Lankan Government and driven by 

the people of Sri Lanka, including civil society and nongovernmental organizations; 

Whereas the removal of the country’s chief justice, decreasing 

space for dissent, continued militarization throughout the 

country, and intimidation of journalists and critics of the 

government have created a sense of impunity and creeping authoritarianism within Sri Lanka; 

Whereas there have been repeated reports of attacks on 

places of worship and those practicing their faith, restrictions on the media throughout Sri Lanka, and few instances in which the perpetrators of such attacks have 

been held to account; 

Whereas there have been numerous unaddressed allegations 

of arbitrary detention, sexual violence, torture, and abuse 

of detainees by police and security forces in Sri Lanka’s 

north and east during the end of the war, and which are 

ongoing and have increased after the war; 

Whereas the United States Department of State’s 2012 

Human Rights Report on Sri Lanka also includes reports 

of serious human rights violations such as unlawful 


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•HRES 587 IH 

killings by security forces and government-allied paramilitary groups; 

Whereas progress on investigations into reports of war 

crimes, crimes against humanity, and other human rights 

violations during the conflict and promoting reconciliation 

would facilitate enhanced United States engagement, bilateral trade, and investment in Sri Lanka and coincide 

with United States policy that such commissions of inquiry have been instrumental in providing accountability 

and redressing wrong doing during periods of internal 

strife; and 

Whereas the United States is home to a large Sri Lankan diaspora, including Sinhalese, Tamils, and Muslims, who 

have become an integral part of United States society: 

Now, therefore, be it 

1 Resolved, That the House of Representatives— 

2 (1) calls on the Government of Sri Lanka to 

3 implement the constructive recommendations of the 

4 Lessons Learnt and Reconciliation Commission 

5 (LLRC) in a credible, transparent, and expeditious 

6 manner; 

7 (2) recognizes that the LLRC report has not 

8 adequately addressed issues of accountability for 

9 possible war crimes and crimes against humanity 

10 that may have been committed by the Government 

11 of Sri Lanka and the terrorist Liberation Tigers of 

12 Tamil Eelam (LTTE); 


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•HRES 587 IH 

1 (3) commends the representatives of the United 

2 States on their leadership on United Nations 

3 Human Rights Council Resolution (UNHRC) A/ 

4 HRC/25/L.1.Rev.1, adopted by the UNHRC on 

5 March 27, 2014, establishing an Office of the High 

6 Commissioner for Human Rights investigation into 

7 allegations of war crimes, crimes against humanity, 

8 and other human rights violations committed by 

9 both sides during and after the war in Sri Lanka 

10 and to make recommendations regarding account11 ability; 

12 (4) recommends that the United States Depart13 ment of State place restrictions on entry to the 

14 United States for anyone it identifies as responsible 

15 for war crimes and crimes against humanity; 

16 (5) encourages the Government of Sri Lanka to 

17 work with and accept the support of civil society and 

18 local and foreign agencies that can support the 

19 causes of reconciliation and accountability, including 

20 the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner 

21 for Human Rights in its investigation; 

22 (6) calls for the Government of Sri Lanka to 

23 allow for greater media freedoms and ensure the 

24 freedom and protection of the press and of religion; 


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•HRES 587 IH 

1 (7) urges the Government of Sri Lanka to pro2 vide for freedom of movement and allow humani3 tarian organizations and international human rights 

4 groups greater access to war-affected individuals, in5 cluding rehabilitated ex-LTTE cadres and those de6 tained; 

7 (8) acknowledges the end of the war and calls 

8 on the Government of Sri Lanka to prioritize the 

9 process of demilitarization throughout the country, 

10 including removing military involvement from civil11 ian administration; 

12 (9) calls on members of the Tamil National Al13 liance to acknowledge past relationships with the 

14 LTTE and make a firm commitment to reconcili15 ation and a long-term political solution that would 

16 ensure for a peaceful and unified Sri Lanka; 

17 (10) urges the government of the ruling party 

18 to begin negotiations with the Tamil National Alli19 ance on a political solution from where those talks 

20 stopped in 2011; and 

21 (11) acknowledges the importance for all par22 ties to reach a lasting political settlement on the 

23 meaningful devolution of power consistent with the 


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•HRES 587 IH 

1 recommendations of the LLRC and acceptable to all 

2 sides. 

Æ 


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