Pastoral Letter from Church Leaders of Sri Lanka

The Increasingly Desperate Situation of the People Trapped in Vanni
Submitted by the Rt Revd Duleep de Chickera, Bishop of Colombo

CEYLON 090325-1
March 25, 2009

[The Church of Ceylon (E-P) - Ceylon] As religious leaders, we are extremely concerned about the deteriorating plight of the civilians who are still trapped in the Vanni. Endless debates about the actual numbers trapped or who is primarily to be blamed for their plight are not the most urgent needs at this stage. The immediate and absolutely urgent need is to recognize that this is a very critical humanitarian crisis faced by fellow Sri Lankans. The needs of food, water, health, sanitation, shelter and, above all, physical security of these our sisters and brothers and children need to be addressed without delay. From all independent reports available, the plight of these trapped civilians has become absolutely desperate. These are people who over the past several years have lived under severe deprivations and restrictions and have in recent months been displaced several times over. We urge that all sides recognize the helplessness and powerlessness of these desperate Sri Lankans to change their circumstances or voice their fears and concerns. We earnestly appeal to all concerned to set aside debates on secondary issues and take immediate steps to alleviate their suffering.

We are grateful that a seven mile long strip has been declared by the Government of Sri Lanka as “no-fire” zone. We trust that negotiations can be facilitated to ensure that there is bilateral agreement for this “no-fire” zone and for the avoidance of the use of heavy artillery and multi-barrel shelling in the areas where civilians reside. We are also thankful that arrangements have been made for the sick and the injured to be transported by ship to Trincomalee for treatment. But in the prevailing desperate plight of civilians in the Vanni, we appeal to all parties, in the name of our religions and in the name of our common humanity, to have the humility and the courage to agree to the following:

1. Continue steady food supplies through the World Food Program as long as is necessary.

2. Continue the ferrying of the sick and injured persons through the ICRC to hospitals that are in a position to provide the necessary personnel and medicines to treat these people.

3. Negotiate and evacuate all civilians who wish to leave the conflict zone. For this purpose, a temporary cessation of fighting be agreed upon to enable this evacuation. As religious leaders, we are willing to attempt to facilitate, by ourselves or in association with others, negotiations towards a mutually acceptable agreement in this regard. We wish to emphasize that our concern is purely and primarily a temporary cessation of fighting for the sole humanitarian purpose of ensuring the safe evacuation of the civilians.

4. That the UN, ICRC and other reputed organizations, including clergy of all religions, be allowed into the Vanni during the temporary cessation of fighting to facilitate and monitor the evacuation and assist in the other humanitarian operations. This will bring credibility to all sides and also enhance the image our country.

The Rt Revd Dr Thomas Savundranayagam
Roman Catholic Bishop of Jaffna

The Rt Revd Dr Rayappu Joseph
Roman Catholic Bishop of Mannar

The Rt Revd Norbert Andradi
Roman Catholic Bishop of Anuradhapura

The Rt Revd Kumara Illangasinghe
Anglican Bishop of Kurunagala

The Rt Revd Duleep de Chickera
Anglican Bishop of Colombo

25th March 2009

Tsunami Victims

The Boxing Day Tsunami of 2004 seems such a long time ago now for those of us in the West, but travel down to the south of the island along the coastal road and you will pass alongside grave after grave next to the sea.
You can still see the ruins of houses and homes, the concrete foundations of what used to be and the remains of fishing boats left to rust inland from the sea - their owners long perished.
Many NGO's have moved on, but there is still a huge need for assistance - many are in need of trauma counseling, many have yet to come to terms with the massive loss of life. Many of the poorest of the poor remain without a permanent home.

Extract from Bishop Duleep's Latest Pastoral Letter

Geetha (Bishop's wife) and I visited Vavuniya a few days ago and were able to spend some time with our clergy, girls and ladies of the Anglican orphanage. They are all in a state of trauma and spoke with tears and silence. Those in the Vavuniya hospital have suffered serious injuries and are being well cared for by the medical staff who are working around the clock. We also met with the authorities and some religious leaders. The Diocese will respond initially to the needs of Internally Displaced Persons (IDP)through the Board of Social Responsibility. We are still in the stage of relief and the process of rehabilitation will be much more demanding in terms of our spirituality as well as our financial resources; and we must be equipped and ready for this.
I am grateful to all who have been praying for the civilians of the Wanni and request that this should continue.
The Diocese is in touch with with the authorities on the participation of our Church in the area of relief and rehabilitation. We have called for a consortium through which the religions could work and have offered assistance in the areas of trauma counseling, occupational therapy and child care.
Through this worsening crisis our Diocese both collectively as well as separately taken several initiatives at several levels to bring to an end this war and commence conversations that will address the grievance of the Tamil people and the need for a just and democratic Sri Lanka. We have repeatedly called for the safety and protection of civilians in the war areas through the provision of safe zones. We have particularly asked that the IDP's be treated with respect and that the security screening process be swift and professional, after which the people should be assisted to return to their homes and livelihoods. For this the strengthening of Democratic institutions, law and order, social trust and a return to civil administration are essential.

Bishop Duleep De Chickera
Pastoral Letter
18/02/09

Car, Train or Aeroplane?

The Model Railway Society and the Transport societies recently held a big event at the college which drew together several classic car enthusiasts. Becky particularly enjoyed seeing the old MG cars and reminded of her time in Oxford by posing with this lime green mini, but she eventually decided on something with a good view.

Ripon & Leeds Link Officer Visit

February has certainly brought with it a bevy of UK visitors. Adrian from CMS, Lisa and Susan from Blackburn Diocese, George the gap-year student and then Barbara the Link officer from Ripon & Leeds also appeared on the door step followed by Revd Malini from the Board of Education. Malini is the most amazing woman, she has grappled with cancer, but continues to work full time for the Diocese, travelling around the country to run workshops for Sunday school teachers and organising the Vacation Bible Schools. She also supports many groups working for the rights of women and children as well as organising peace rallies and prayer vigils. She is an active theologian and recently spent time living with Bikkhuni, the Buddhist nuns, helping them to collect alms and spending time with them in meditation.