US Congress duo concerned over Lankan crisis

Two members of the US Congress have written to the Chairman of the Sub Committee on the Middle East and South Asia of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the House of Representatives expressing their serious concerns regarding the worsening situation in Sri Lanka. They had requested he consider holding a hearing on the rapidly deteriorating human rights, humanitarian and political crisis in the country.

In the letter to Chairman Gary Ackerman dated June 27, 2007, the two congressmen Frank Pallone Jr and Jerry Weller said it was time the US took some oversight on the crisis occurring in Sri Lanka and help secure a lasting peace.

“Over the past year over a 1,000 people have ‘disappeared’ and another 1000 unlawfully killed. Last week’s murder of two volunteer aid workers by unidentified gunmen came ten months after the execution-style murder of 17 local staff members of the aid agency Action Contre la Faim. This was the worst attack against humanitarian workers in memory. Civilians have been killed by indiscriminate aerial bombardments, LTTE suicide bombings and reprisal killings. In addition, the Karuna faction continues to recruit children” the Congressmen said in the letter.

“We have introduced a resolution that expresses these same concerns. It is our hope that this can be the basis for examining the conflict during the hearing,” the letter added. A copy of the letter was also sent to Tom Lantos, Chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee.