Support Humanitarian Relief and a Political Settlement in Sri Lanka
March 5th, 2009
Please ask your Representative to join this action to support humanitarian relief and a political settlement in Sri Lanka. Sign-ons are being accepted until noon on Monday, March 9th. See details below.
Congressman Jim Moran is asking his congressional colleagues to join him in sending the following letters to Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton and U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Susan Rice urging them to continue steps to address the grave humanitarian crisis in Sri Lanka and to work for a sustainable political settlement after the decades-long fighting ends.
Up to 200,000 civilians are trapped in northern Sri Lanka, amid fighting between Sri Lankan Government forces and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam. Most have been cut off from outside food and medical supplies for weeks. Many have died from heavy artillery and air attacks and people are beginning to die of starvation. Human Rights Watch reports that 2,000 Tamil civilians have been killed since January, and 7,000 civilians have been wounded.
U.S. engagement thus far has achieved some important results. The Congressional action encourages further action to press for full protection of all civilians, greater engagement by United Nations agencies and others in humanitarian relief, and progress toward a lasting political settlement that includes ethnic Tamils in national governance. U.S. engagement both bilaterally with the Sri Lankan Government and at the United Nations is critical to saving lives and contributing to a better future for Sri Lanka, whose citizens have suffered greatly during a 25-year war.
Download PDF of Congressional letter to Secretary Clinton
Download PDF of Congressional letter to Ambassador Rice
Please tell your representative that to sign on, contact Tasha Manoranjan of Rep. Mary Jo Kilroy’s office at 225-2015 or Tasha.Manoranjan@mail.house.gov, or David Young of Rep. Jim Moran’s office at 225-3979 or david.young@mail.house.gov. The deadline to sign these letters is Monday March 9, at noon.
Posted in: Action Alert, Asia, Global, Homepage News, Issues, Members, News, Peace, Resources
Related keywords: sri lanka, sri lanka military, tamil
