(Washington, DC) - U.S. Rep. Gary Ackerman (D-Queens/L.I.), Chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on the Middle East and South Asia, today called on President Bush to increase U.S. efforts to bring about a peaceful resolution to the current conflict in Sri Lanka. Ackerman, joined by thirteen other members of the House of Representatives, emphasized the importance of increased U.S. diplomatic engagement and high-level political contact in Sri Lanka in achieving a lasting peace.

In addition to highlighting the need for the government of Sri Lanka to take active measures to end extrajudicial killings and disappearances in government-controlled areas, Ackerman called for the U.S. Treasury Department to enhance its efforts to disrupt LTTE financing. He also urged the Bush administration to work toward a strengthened mandate for the Office of the U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) in order for it to engage in human rights field monitoring.

“It is the duty of the U.S. government to support strong human rights protections for civilians, and it is time to take the lead in a renewed international effort in Sri Lanka.” said Ackerman. 

Hostilities between the government of Sri Lanka and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) have escalated since 2005, resulting in over one thousand civilian deaths and the displacement of an estimated 290,000 civilians. While the international community has attempted to mediate the conflict in the past, a recent report by the International Crisis Group has described the international response to Sri Lanka’s human rights problems as “disjointed, lackluster and tardy.”

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