IV 
112TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION 
H. RES. 177 
Expressing support for internal rebuilding, resettlement, and reconciliation 
within Sri Lanka that are necessary to ensure a lasting peace. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
MARCH 17, 2011 
Mr. GRIMM submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the 
Committee on Foreign Affairs 
RESOLUTION 
Expressing support for internal rebuilding, resettlement, and 
reconciliation within Sri Lanka that are necessary to 
ensure a lasting peace. 
Whereas May 19, 2010, marked the one-year anniversary of 
the end of the 26-year conflict between the Liberation Ti-
gers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) and the Government of Sri 
Lanka; 
Whereas the Government of Sri Lanka established a Lessons 
Learned and Reconciliation Commission (LLRC) to re-
port whether any person, group, or institution directly or 
indirectly bears responsibility for incidents that occurred 
between February 2002 and May 2009 and to rec-
ommend measures to prevent the recurrence of such inci-
dents in the future and promote further national unity 
and reconciliation among all communities; 
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•HRES 177 IH 
Whereas United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon ap-
pointed a panel of experts, including Marzuki Darusman, 
the former attorney general of Indonesia, Yazmin Sooka, 
a member of South Africa’s Truth and Reconciliation 
Commission, and Steven Ratner, a lawyer in the United 
States specializing in human rights and international law, 
to advise the Secretary-General on the implementation of 
the commitment of the Government of Sri Lanka to 
human rights accountability; 
Whereas the Government of Sri Lanka expressed its commit-
ment to addressing the needs of all ethnic groups and has 
recognized, in the past, the necessity of a political settle-
ment and reconciliation for a peaceful and just society; 
Whereas the United States Government has yet to develop a 
comprehensive United States policy toward Sri Lanka 
that reflects the broad range of human rights, national 
security, and economic interests; and 
Whereas progress on domestic and international investiga-
tions into reports of war crimes, crimes against human-
ity, and other human rights violations during the conflict 
and promoting reconciliation would facilitate enhanced 
United States engagement and investment in Sri Lanka: 
Now, therefore, be it 
Resolved, That the House of Representatives— 
(1) commends United Nations Secretary-Gen-
eral Ban Ki-moon for creating the three-person 
panel to advise the Secretary-General on the imple-
mentation of the commitment of the Government of 
Sri Lanka to human rights accountability; 
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(2) urges the Government of Sri Lanka, the 
international community, and the United Nations to 
establish an independent international accountability 
mechanism to look into reports of war crimes, 
crimes against humanity, and other human rights 
violations committed by both sides during and after 
the war in Sri Lanka and to make recommendations 
regarding accountability; 
(3) urges the Government of Sri Lanka to allow 
humanitarian organizations, aid agencies, journal-
ists, and international human rights groups greater 
freedom of movement, including in internally dis-
placed persons camps; and 
(4) insists that the President develop a com-
prehensive policy towards Sri Lanka that reflects 
United States interests, including respect for human 
rights, democracy and the rule of law, economic in-
terests, and security interests. 
Æ 
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