IV 
111TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION 
H. RES. 711 
Calling on the United States Government and the international community 
to address the human rights and humanitarian needs of Sri Lanka’s 
Tamil internally displaced persons (IDPs) currently living in government- 
run camps by supporting the release of such IDPs, implementing and 
facilitating an independent oversight of the process of release and reset-
tlement, and allowing foreign aid groups to provide relief and resources 
to such IDPs. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
JULY 31, 2009 
Mr. DAVIS of Illinois (for himself and Ms. JACKSON-LEE of Texas) submitted 
the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Foreign 
Affairs 
RESOLUTION 
Calling on the United States Government and the inter-
national community to address the human rights and 
humanitarian needs of Sri Lanka’s Tamil internally dis-
placed persons (IDPs) currently living in government- 
run camps by supporting the release of such IDPs, im-
plementing and facilitating an independent oversight of 
the process of release and resettlement, and allowing 
foreign aid groups to provide relief and resources to 
such IDPs. 
Whereas May 2009 marked the conclusion of the 26-year 
struggle between the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam 
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(LTTE) and the Sri Lankan Government, and Sri 
Lankan Government committed itself to caring for and 
ensuring the speedy return of the civilians internally dis-
placed as a result of the fighting; 
Whereas the Sri Lankan Government is seeking to identify 
former combatants who were part of the LTTE and as 
part of the vetting process the Sri Lankan Government 
has set up make-shift camps to house over 280,000 inter-
nally displaced persons (IDPs) who fled their homes as 
the war drew to an end; 
Whereas as part of the United Nations Human Rights Coun-
cil 11th Special Session on Sri Lanka held on May 27, 
2009, the Sri Lankan Government made commitments to 
the world to improve the conditions for the people housed 
in the camps and stated that the ‘‘bulk’’ of the IDPs 
would be resettled within 180 days; 
Whereas the first 60 days of this resettlement process, as 
committed to by the Sri Lankan Government, has passed 
and the Sri Lankan Government is still detaining over 
280,000 IDPs in 30 military-guarded camps in the four 
northern districts of Vavuniya, Mannar, Jaffna, and 
Trincomalee; 
Whereas allegations are being reported that the current and 
actual standard of treatment and living conditions af-
forded to IDPs is grossly wanting when compared to the 
principles set as standards by the United Nations Office 
for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs for guiding 
states and organizations dealing with internally displaced 
populations; 
Whereas Human Rights Watch believes that the Sri Lankan 
Government should immediately release the more than 
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280,000 Tamil IDPs held in detention camps since 
March 2008; and 
Whereas principles, established by the United Nations Office 
for the Coordination of Human Affairs, for sufficient pro-
vision of equal treatment, family reunification, access to 
essential food and water, sanitation, healthcare, edu-
cation, safety, acknowledgment of the special needs for 
vulnerabilities of children and women are not yet met: 
Now, therefore, be it 
Resolved, That the House of Representatives— 
(1) urges the Sri Lankan Government to guar-
antee the safety and speedy release of internally dis-
placed persons (IDPs) in camps and to ensure the 
rights and privileges of these refugees in the reestab-
lishment of their homes and properties; 
(2) calls on the Sri Lankan Government to turn 
the operation of the camps over to civilian authori-
ties and allow the day to day presence of inter-
national government agencies, the International 
Committee of the Red Cross, and independent non-
governmental organizations to assist in the care of 
the IDPs; 
(3) calls on the Sri Lankan Government to 
allow an independent group to assess the accuracy 
of the allegations of large numbers of deaths, dis-
eases, and sicknesses due to poor sanitation and in-
appropriate healthcare in the camps containing the 
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IDPs and to prepare a plan of action to resolve the 
problems; 
(4) request the Sri Lankan Government to es-
tablish reasonable conditions to allow foreign agen-
cies access to the IDPs and to ensure the rebuilding 
process of war torn areas in Sri Lanka; and 
(5) urges the Tamil people to continue to be pa-
tient while the government reestablishes normalcy 
and urges the Sri Lankan Government to move for-
ward in creating political reforms that will resolve 
the political concerns of the Tamil people. 
Æ 
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