Political Quotes

“Mr. President, this week marks the 10th anniversary of the end of Sri Lanka's decades-long civil war. On May 19, 2009, Sri Lanka's 26-year conflict between the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam, LTTE, and the government of Sri Lanka came to a close with the LTTE's military defeat and surrender. This anniversary comes on the heels of the horrible Easter Sunday terrorist attacks on churches across Sri Lanka for which we are still seeking answers and accountability from ISIS and its affiliates on the island. While the end of the war was a counterterrorism victory, we have since learned the ugly cost of this effort. According to International Crisis Group, in the final months of Sri Lanka's civil war, Sri Lankan Government ``attacks on its own self-declared `no-fire zones' killed tens of thousands of [Tamil] civilians . . . claims range from 7,000 to 147,000 dead.'' For several years, I have been calling for an international, independent mechanism to investigate allegations of war crimes and crimes against humanity committed during the Sri Lankan conflict. I also remain concerned about recent violations of human rights and religious freedom in that country. Since the end of the war, there has yet to be real progress made on reconciliation and accountability for Tamils through domestic processes, as recommended by the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights 2015 Investigation on Sri Lanka, OISL.…”