US Senators table resolution on Sri Lanka

A group of U.S. Senators have tabled a resolution calling for economic support and advice for Sri Lanka.

Senators Bob Menendez, Dick Durbin, Patrick Leahy, and Cory Booker have tabled the resolution before the US Congress.

The resolution supports the peaceful democratic and economic aspirations of the Sri Lankan people, urges the Sri Lankan security forces to respect the legitimate rights of Sri Lankans, including to protest peacefully and urges President Ranil Wickremesinghe to work with opposition parties on behalf of all Sri Lankans, including Tamils, Muslims, and other religious and ethnic minorities.

The resolution also commends the United States Agency for International Development for announcing more than $92,000,000 in economic and humanitarian assistance to Sri Lanka since June 2022, commends the International Monetary Fund for calling for structural reforms to address corruption vulnerabilities that hamper Sri Lanka’s long term potential growth, commends the Government of India for providing more than $3,500,000,000 in lines of credit to the Government of Sri Lanka for food, medicine, and fuel, and commends the Government of Japan and the Government of Australia for providing urgent medicine, food, and health care assistance for the Sri Lankan people.

It also calls on the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue nations to mobilize additional humanitarian assistance, provide desperately needed fuel, and offer economic support and advice to the Government of Sri Lanka, urges the United Nations Human Rights 7 Council and the Government of Sri Lanka to implement the recommendations detailed in the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Right’s report that was published on February 25, 2022 and calls on the United National Human Rights Council to extend and reinforce the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights’ mandate from HRC 46/1 (2021) for an additional 2 years and to fully resource the Sri Lanka Accountability Project. (Colombo Gazette)