(September 26, 2012, Washington DC, Sri Lanka Guardian)
Full Text of Letter, Signed by 31
US Legislators:
The Honorable Hillary Rodham
Clinton
Secretary of State
U.S. Department of State
Washington, DC 20520
Dear Madam Secretary:
September 21, 2012
We write to express our concerns
regarding reconciliation and accountability progress in Sri Lanka following its
26-year civil war and the alleged commitment of war crimes and crimes against
humanity by both sides in the final stages of the conflict in 2009.
In the years since, steps have
been taken both by the international community and the State Department to
foster an atmosphere of atonement and to affect a return to normalcy. The
report submitted by the Lessons Learned and Reconciliation Committee (LLRC)
represented an initial move by the Sri Lankan Government to address the failure
of the ceasefire agreement. The LLRC report became the basis for discussion for
the March 22nd adoption of Resolution 19/L.2, “Promoting reconciliation and
accountability in Sri Lanka,” at the 19th U.N. Human Rights Council (UNHRC)
session. The resolution signaled an important step forward in placing
additional pressure on the Government of Sri Lanka to implement constructive
recommendations contained in the LLRC report, while also noting that the report
failed to adequately address serious allegations of violations of international
law.
Despite these initial steps
toward reconciliation and accountability, we remain concerned that the
Government of Sri Lanka will resist taking the good faith steps necessary to
implement both its obligations under the UNHRC Resolution and the LLRC Report.
Government ministers maintain that the LLRC overstepped its mandate and some
claim that the government will take credible action on only a portion of the
LLRC recommendations. For instance, the LLRC report criticizes the heavy
militarization of the North and East. Three years after the end of the war, there
is still a checkpoint for entrance to the North and frequent checkpoints
throughout the region.
To add to these concerns, the
”National Action Plan to Implement the Recommendations of the LLRC” released by
the Government of Sri Lanka in July merely sets up further committees and
organizational bodies to “consider” the LLRC recommendations, but does not
mandate that specific actions be taken on even easily accomplishable
recommendations, nor does it set firm timetables of any kind. Without
persistent U.S. involvement, we fear these delay tactics will continue.
We are grateful for the
leadership shown by the State Department regarding the UNHRC resolution and we
acknowledge your efforts to dialogue with the Sri Lankan Foreign Minister to
discuss the implementation of recommendations contained in the LLRC report.
However, we have some concerns
with the State Department’s expressed policy moving forward. In previous
responses to inquiries from Congressional offices, the Department has
identified strong, specific instances of past engagement on issues of
reconciliation and accountability, but is much less specific about future
actions. While we appreciate the Department’s efforts to encourage
reconciliation and constructive engagement between the Government of Sri Lanka
and the international community, we are concerned that previous requests made
by our colleagues in Congress, most notably important timetables and
benchmarks, appointing a Special Envoy, and engaging with Tamil
representatives, have not been prioritized.
As you know, Congress voiced its
opinion on the matter when the Senate unanimously approved S. Res. 84 on March
I, 20 I I. We are pleased with the passage of this legislation in the Senate,
which calls for an independent investigation into reports of war crimes and
crimes against humanity committed by both sides during and after the war.
However, the findings and recommendations of such investigations are
meaningless if they result in hollow rhetoric and empty promises that fail to
move the reconciliation process forward in Sri Lanka.
Thus far, there is no indication
that the UNHRC resolution has had any significant impact on the Sri Lankan
government’s response to the issue. We believe that the State Department must
ensure that its diplomatic efforts yield fruitful and meaningful results via
further U.S. action and engagement on reconciliation and accountability in Sri
Lanka. With the impending evaluation of Sri Lanka’s compliance with the UNHRC
resolution in March 2013, there is an added sense of urgency to this request.
It would be all too easy for the Rajapaksa administration to make excuses for
failing to adhere to its obligations at the next HRC session without strong
oversight from the State Department.
We respectfully urge you and your
colleagues to purposefully and dynamically engage with the Government of Sri
Lanka in advancing reconciliation and accountability and a return to peaceful
stability. Thank you for your attention to this matter and for your timely
response.
Sincerely,
Rep. Bill Jones (OH)
Rep. William Keating (MA)
Rep. Michael Grimm (NY)
Rep. Walter Jones (NC)
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