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Sri Lanka Rally Seeks Unity Among Religious Groups June 29th, 2011

An inter-denominational rally designed to bring the nation’s Christians closer together was held in Colombo recently.

The JHU, a conservative, predominantly Buddhist political group, is shepherding an anti-conversion bill through the Sri Lanka parliament that many Christians fear will seriously interfere with their charity work.

Thousand of believers, including Catholics, Anglicans, Methodists, Baptists, Presbyterians, members of the Ceylon Reformed Church and evangelical groups, joined in worship and song at the city’s main Anglican church, the Cathedral of Christ the Living Savior, on June 25.

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Sri Lankan Christians Call for Genuine Reconciliation May 2nd, 2011

Twenty-five Sri Lankan Christians, including two Oblate priests, issued a statement that is believed to have prompted the recent release of the report of the UN Secretary General’s panel of experts on the war in Sri Lanka. The group has called for open discussion of what happened in the final months of the war, and the current situation in the north where the majority of Tamils live.

According to their letter:

We believe that it is left to us Sri Lankans to establish and acknowledge the truth, apologize for wrongs done, ensure justice and accountability, and through measures such as reparations, show our care and support towards those who have suffered such as families of those killed and disappeared, those who have been injured during war and due to torture, those who continue to be detained without charges and without due process, those who had been displaced and lost properties etc. It is our contention that truth, justice, accountability together with care and reparation for victims are essential ingredients for progress, development of a post war Sri Lanka, along with a longer term political solution that addresses grievances of Tamil community that led to the birth of the LTTE and full scale war.

But it is our assessment that we have been unable to make significant progress on any of the above fronts within Sri Lanka, particularly in the last two years since the end of the war. The process of LLRC [Lessons Learnt and Reconciliation Commission] had not given us much confidence though we still hope for positive outcomes from the LLRC, particularly the publication of it’s final report, conclusions and recommendations as soon as possible, which would have the potential to serve as a valuable resource for our reconciliation efforts. In this context we believe international assistance can also be crucial in our post war rebuilding and reconciliation efforts. Thus, we find it encouraging that establishment of the truth, apology for wrongs done, justice, accountability and reparation for victims is reflected in the conclusions and recommendations of the panel of experts appointed by the UNSG.

Read the full letter…

Caritas in Sri Lanka Called to a Future of Peace and Reconciliation December 17th, 2008

Fr. Oswald B. Firth, former director of Caritas/SEDEC in Sri Lanka, addressing the organization on the 40th anniversary of its foundation, called for it to support peace between the Tamil Tigers and the army: “people are exhausted with the war.” Noting that the forty years it has spent helping the population has brought the Catholic organization respect and recognition, Fr. Firth said that, “maybe this is the time when SEDEC could lead such a campaign calling for a just political solution to the crisis. Vision, wisdom and courage will be forthcoming once the initiative is launched. We need to trust in the goodness of people, that they all want peace for their families and for the country.”

 

Thousands in Sri Lanka Forced by War to Flee Their Homes July 28th, 2008

Tens of thousands of people in northwestern Sri Lanka have been forced by aerial bombardment to leave their homes and are living out in the open. The Rt. Rev. Dr. Thomas Savundaranayagam, Bishop of Jaffna and the Rt. Rev. Dr. Rayappu Joseph, Bishop of Mannar have both written pleas to the government asking that the bombing stop and the internally displaced people be assisted with food, medicine and shelter.

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NGOs Oppose Sri Lanka’s Bid for UN Human Rights Council Seat May 8th, 2008

The civil was in Sri Lanka continues to deteriorate. With the abrogation of the cease-fire in January, 2008, the Sri Lankan government has declared all-out war on Sri Lanka’s Tamil rebels – the LTTE. Thousands have died and tens of thousands have been forced to leave their villages. Often, refugees are forced to move yet again to avoid further conflict. Sri Lanka has known only brief periods of peace and stability in the past two decades.

During a visit to Washington DC on May 6th 2008, Fr. Rohan Silva, OMI from Sri Lanka spoke to the Office of International Justice and Peace of the U.S. Catholic Bishops Conference on the ongoing conflict, the worsening living conditions of people as internal refugees and the need to support the resumption of a peace process. The Church in Sri Lanka is accompanying the people and working to give hope to the people.

At the request of Sri Lankan faith groups and NGOs, international groups are demanding that members of the United Nations oppose the Government of Sri Lanka’s bid for membership on the U.N. Human Rights Council on the basis of the serious and widespread human rights violations by government forces.

View NGO statement to the United Nations opposing Sri Lanka’s membership to U.N. Human Rights Council. [05/07/08]

Bomb Kills Sri Lankan Priest April 21st, 2008

Roadside bomb kills Sri Lankan priest known as human rights activist

By Catholic News Service April-21-2008

COLOMBO, Sri Lanka (CNS) — A Jaffna diocesan priest active in promoting human rights was killed April 20 by a roadside bomb on the way back to his church after celebrating Mass in a parish substation.

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