STATEMENT OF THE HON. CONSTANCE A. MORELLA

EXTENSION OF REMARKS CONDEMNING LTTE TERRORISM - JUNE 8, 2000

Mr. Speaker, as Co-chair of the Sri Lanka Caucus, I am increasingly concerned about the situation in that South Asian nation.

The democratic government of Sri Lanka has been under attack for more than 25 years, the subject of an especially vicious campaign by the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE). The LTTE purports to represent the interests of the minority Tamils and seeks an independent homeland in the north of the country. The Tigers have appropriately been identified by the State Department as a terrorist organization.

The LTTE's tactic of indiscriminate suicide terrorist bombings have succeeded mostly in killing and maiming dozens of innocent civilians at a time, occasionally succeeding in taking out their target.

Yesterday, such an attack, attributed to the Tamil Tigers, killed the Minister for Industrial Development, C.V. Gooneratne, and at least 20 other people. At least 60 people were injured, including Mr. Gooneratne's wife, who was critically hurt. I strongly condemn this terrorist act, I express my condolences to all who suffered losses.

And regrettably this was only the most recent such attack. Last year President Kumaratunga was wounded in a suicide bomber terrorist attack at a campaign rally; that bombing and one at another rally left 22 people dead and more than 100 wounded.

In a statement yesterday, the State Department stated, "The LTTE's legacy of bombing, assassinations, massacres and torture has alienated the people of Sri Lanka and the international community, and has done nothing to promote the legitimate needs and aspirations of the Sri Lankan Tamils. The LTTE must abandon these methods if it hopes to play a constructive role in ending the conflict" I am pleased by the strength of this condemnation, and I am in full agreement with it.

I hope that my colleagues will join me and Congressman Pallone, my fellow Sri Lanka Caucus co-chair, and other members of the caucus in condemning LTTE terrorism and supporting the people of Sri Lanka in their effort to combat terrorism and maintain a united democratic nation.