Support for Sri Lanka in domestic procedures gathering momentum in US Senate
Tuesday, 1 April 2014 01:32
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Three more Senators join ranks with 11 others who are co-sponsoring counter resolution
While the US State Department has been canvassing support to establish an international investigation in Sri Lanka, there has been a growing number of US Senators who have been calling upon the US Government and the international community to be of meaningful assistance to the Government of Sri Lanka.
This growing group of Senators have called upon the US to give due regard to Sri Lanka’s sovereignty, stability and security in establishing domestic mechanisms to deal with any grievances arising from actions committed during and after the civil war in Sri Lanka.
The US Senate resolution 364 which carries such a request was initially co-sponsored by 11 Senators of the US on 27 February and now, more Senators have been joining the effort to support the Resolution and to call the US President to develop a comprehensive and a well-balanced policy towards Sri Lanka.
The Resolution expresses support for Sri Lanka’s internal reconciliation process and acknowledges the significant overall progress that Sri Lanka has made since the end of the conflict, five years ago.
The Resolution particularly calls on the President of the US not only to look at human rights interests in its dealings with Sri Lanka, but also consider the United States’ economic and security interests in Sri Lanka as well.
Senators Jim Inhofe (R-Oklahoma), John Cornyn (R-Texas), Orrin Hatch (R-Utah), John Barrasso (R-Wyoming) Roy Blunt (R-Missouri), Joe Manchin (D-West Virginia), Jeff Sessions (R-Alabama), John Boozman (R-Arkansas), Mike Crapo (R-Idaho), Susan Collins (R-Maine) and Mike Enzi (R-Wyoming) were the original co-sponsors of Resolution 364.
On 27 March, Senator Ted Cruz (R-Texas), Senator Pat Roberts (R-Kansas), and Senator Tim Scott (R-South Carolina) joined the eleven co-sponsors of the Resolution, thereby bringing the total number of US Senators co-sponsoring Senate Resolution 364 to 14.
Knowledgeable diplomatic sources in Washington indicated that more Senators are due to join as co-sponsors in the coming weeks, signifying an unprecedented support for Sri Lanka’s domestic mechanisms.
