Sri Lanka in danger: Needs church's intervention

Church of North India conjoint with the National Council of Churches in Sri Lanka (NCCS) held an important colloquium, yesterday, to combat the Ethnic conflict in Sri Lanka, which has intensified the Civil war between the communities.

The meeting organised in the wake of escalating violence, abductions, and deaths in Sri Lanka, urged the ecumenical community in India and the world to take note of the violence that goes unreported and to jointly work for the restoration of peace.

Mr. Santha Fernando, Executive Secretary for Justice and Peace Commission for the NCCS and Dr. M. Mayilvaganan, Associate Fellow, Institute for Defense & Analysis, India, were part of the panelists in the conference, held at CNI Bhawan, New Delhi.

"Life in Sri Lanka is gloomy and there is no respect for human life and dignity. Moreover, these incidents are unreported and non–internationalised," Santha Fernando told Christian Today.

Sri Lanka, which ranks for the highest number of complaints for disappearances in the world, says Santha, has become a breeding ground for daily abductions, extra judicial arrests and killings of unarmed civilians, with glaring impunity.

Over 60 humanitarian workers were killed or disappeared in the year 2006 and 2007. Tamils and Muslims, who form the minority, are the most affected of these violations.

In a recent poll by the Peace Confidence Index (PCI), which asked if people agree or disagree with the statement that ‘Sri Lanka continues to have a serious human rights problem’, 79% Muslims, 94% Tamils and 38% native Sinhala community conferred they agreed.

"Law enforcement is Nil, there is no respect for the rule of law, even the President himself stands accused of violating the Constitution by failing to appoint the Constitutional Council," Santha said.

The ongoing conflict in Sri Lanka has existed since the year 1983, between the government and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), a separatist militant organization who fight for the creation of an independent state named Tamil Eelam.

According to a study conducted by the University of Washington, at least 215,000 people were killed in the Civil war until 2002.

Although the international community, including the U.N, India, USA, UK and Norway interfered and held peace talks, even a signing of a MOU, it yielded no results. India dropped its support in 1991, after the assassination of ex–Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi by an LTTE suicide bomber.

When asked about the role of Church in bringing peace and stability, Santh responded saying, Church has always stood for justice and individual freedom. When Philippines were going through a similar turmoil, it was Church who played an active role in joining with the government and rendering peace. So if this issue is internationalised, and the Churches, Christians and organisations take concern, we can thwart the efforts of the evil.

He further added, "Issues such as lack of leadership, need for power, money, competitive politics, is the culprit behind the downfall. Time is short, and if still no action is taken, Sri Lanka will become another Sudan or Somalia."

Buddhism is based on peace and Buddhists are peace–loving people, why then a country with majority Buddhists, is facing this issue, asked a participant in the conference.

Santh responded: The statement might be true, but I am sad to say that the Buddhists themselves have initiated these issues. With a trait of nationalism, the Buddhists demand a complete Buddhist nation, and to achieve this, they want the support of the government, and a civil war, which can be a threat to the minorities, including Christians and Muslims.

In a report published by the University Teachers for Human Rights (Jaffna), it said, "At the time this report goes out, residents just out of war zone in South Vanni have been hearing constant sounds of intense warfare. Shells, MBRLs being fired, even as Kfir jets dropped their lethal cargo. Many of the young dying on the frontlines or being horribly maimed were barely 17 years old, recently conscripted, trained and sent to frontlines.”

“For the civilians, life is no less miserable. People displaced need to wait for months before their food rations are redirected and they find temporary shelter in places increasingly vulnerable to artillery and air attack. Bunkers have been built everywhere, including schools, colleges, hospitals."

The war has also been forcing Tamil families to send their children to the LTTE training camps, and the Muslims, a minority who are affected by the war, have their young children being brainwashed with the pseudo methodologies of Terrorism, and Muslim war.

According to people in Vanni, “bombs dropped are set to penetrate the soil; you could even see a hole about 30 feet deep and water spilling in as though a well had been dug. Some bombs are set to explode 15 feet above the ground."

Apparently, there are also reasons for these reports to stay within the country. Journalists’ rights’ groups have accused the Sri Lankan government and the LTTE, for threatening its reporters and attacking its agencies. The country is ranked third in the list of countries where media persons are at risk.

Churches have also voiced against the attacks and violence towards the Christians. Last month, Buddhist monks who demanded the closure of all churches in the country and turn them to Buddhist monastries, attacked several churches in the country. The National Christian Evangelical Alliance reported on Christians being beaten and stabbed.

The panelists, the organizers and participants of the event conclusively wish that, Churches worldwide know of these barbarous incidents in Sri Lanka and take joint effort to render peace and stability, in the predominantly Buddhist nation.