Howard Berman: “it is my deep pleasure to rise in support of H. Res. 350, which I cosponsored with Mr. Bereuter, in honor of the people…”

“it is my deep pleasure to rise in support of H. Res. 350, which I cosponsored with Mr. Bereuter, in honor of the people of Sri Lanka on the occasion of the fiftieth anniversary of their nation's independence. We have a long and deep friendship with Sri Lanka, dating back at least to 1789 when the first American traders visited Colombo, and followed in the early part of the 19th century by American missionaries and educators, who established the first boarding school for girls in Asia in 1824. We established a consulate as early as 1874. We are most proud of the role played by Colonel Henry Steel Olcott in promoting the study of Buddhism. The enlightened altruism demonstrated by Colonel Olcott continues to motivate our relations with Sri Lanka. Today, our relations are being further solidified by our growing economic and political relationship. We are now Sri Lanka's largest trading partner. Most recently, the First Lady visited--the first, I hope, of many such visits, including perhaps that of the President later this year. As we salute the past, it is also my hope that we will take all possible steps to assist in the resolution of the problems which afflict Sri Lanka today. The conflict which continues to disturb the rich Sri Lankese political culture is deeply disturbing. The recent terrorist bombing at the Temple of the Tooth in Kandy and the American decision to withdraw Peace Corps Volunteers testifies to the intensity of that internal conflict.”