Our Efforts
On behalf of innocent civilians in Sri Lanka, we are pressing the U.S. government to adopt policies that will hold the government of Sri Lanka accountable. We educate and engage policymakers and encourage them to support legislation and initiatives to:
- Make further development assistance and budgetary support contingent upon the Sri Lankan government meeting benchmarks on human rights, the rule of law, and good governance;
- Maintain current restrictions and condition further U.S. military assistance (including IMET) to Sri Lanka on the full compliance of the Sri Lankan government with universally recognized human rights standards;
- Encourage other major donors and members of the international community to adopt policies that will hold the government of Sri Lanka accountable for injustices and facilitate a peaceful resolution of the internal conflict.
- Ensure perpetrators of human rights abuses and war crimes are brought to justice by applying and extending existing legislation and cooperating with United Nations mechanisms.
HELP Advocates Sri Lanka is proudly supporting CIVIC’s call for a UN Special Envoy for Civilians in Armed Conflict.
Progress
Although violence and human rights abuses continue unabated in Sri Lanka, the United States has taken a leadership role in responding to the crisis.
On December 26, 2007, President Bush signed the 2008 omnibus appropriations bill into law. Included in the bill was an amendment proposed by Senator Patrick Leahy (D-VT) that halts U.S. Foreign Military Financing (FMF) to Sri Lanka until the government undertakes a series of actions that conforms to human rights and humanitarian law. The language reads:
SRI LANKA
SEC. 699G. (a) None of the funds appropriated by this Act under the heading “Foreign Military Financing Program” may be made available for assistance for Sri Lanka, no defense export license may be issued, and no military equipment or technology shall be sold or transferred to Sri Lanka pursuant to the authorities contained in this Act or any other Act, unless the Secretary of State certifies to the Committee on Appropriations that
(1) the Sri Lankan military is suspending and the Sri Lankan Government is bringing to justice members of the military who have been credibly alleged to have committed gross violations of human rights or international humanitarian law, including complicity in the recruitment of child soldiers;
(2) the Sri Lankan Government is providing access to humanitarian organizations and journalists throughout the country consistent with international humanitarian law; and
(3) the Sri Lankan Government has agreed to the establishment of a field presence of the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights in Sri Lanka with sufficient staff and mandate to conduct full and unfettered monitoring throughout the country and to publicize its findings.
(b) Subsection (a) shall not apply to technology or equipment made available for the limited purposes of maritime and air surveillance and communications.
The passing of this amendment to the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2008, is a tremendous accomplishment which makes a strong statement that the U.S. will not provide the government of Sri Lanka with a blank check in the absence of a demonstrated commitment to human rights and humanitarian norms. HELP Advocates Sri Lanka praises Senator Leahy’s leadership on this issue.
The addition, however, of a waiver allowing certain types of equipment and technology to be sold to Sri Lanka illustrates that more must be done to protect innocent civilians who are often the casualties of military violence. We call upon Congress and the president to enforce further restrictions on direct military assistance to Sri Lanka until the government shows significant progress on upholding human rights and international humanitarian law.
Sri Lanka Deemed Ineligible for Millennium Challenge Account Funding
On December 12, 2007, the Millennium Challenge Corporation Board of Directors announced its selection of countries eligible for hundreds of millions of dollars in funding from the Millennium Challenge Account, which rewards countries that govern justly, invest in their people, and encourage economic freedom. Sri Lanka, previously deemed eligible for funding, was deemed ineligible for 2008. In making its decision for selection, the Board considers policy performance of candidate countries using 17 indicators in three areas—“ruling justly,” “investing in people,” and “encouraging economic freedom.” These indicators measure countries’ demonstrated commitment to policies that promote, among other things, political and economic freedom, investments in education and health care, control of corruption, and respect for civil liberties and the rule of law.