Prayers for Sri Lanka

CHRISTIAN CONFERENCE OF ASIA

Justice, International Affairs, Development & Service

2009 FEBRUARY 20

Source: Sri Lanka Updates

CCA appeals on behalf of the people of the Tamil nation to intervene immediately before the genocide takes over the whole nation. The Sri Lanka Tamil people have been denied their basic human rights since the post-Independence era under the British rule. Sri Lanka has been a classic case of dynasty rule since long. First under the Senanayakes, the the Bandaranaikes, and now under the Rajapakshas. For instance, the Minda Rajapaksha is the executive President and Defense Minister. His brother Gotabaya Rajapaksha is the Defense Secretary and Basil Rajapaksha is one of the influential Cabinet Ministers and the Administrative Adviser to the President. There is an urgent need to an urgent need to address the issue of life and peace of innocent people.

The suffering people of Sri Lanka, therefore, have been looking for the intervention of the international community, especially that of India.

In the present critical condition, the ICRC, the United Nations and other international NGOs have been forced to leave the affected area, particularly the war zone. Even in the war-free zone, where the Tamil people are asked to come, the ICRC is not in a position to receive them. The Government is of the opinion that the LTTE is keeping large number of civilians as human shields. But the people are afraid and reluctant to come because they find themselves at the mercy of the army and other anti-LTTE Tamil groups in the country in the war-free zones.

As far as peace and amity is concerned, even the LTTE has missed out a marvelous opportunity which was created by the facilitation of the Norwegian Government. We must understand that peace cannot be attained with the force of military weapons—be it in the interest and strategy of either the LTTE or even in the interest of the Sri Lankan Government.

We demand that the Sri Lankan Government stop immediately the killing of innocent civilians.

We demand that the Sri Lankan Government allow the international agencies like the ICRC to operate in the war-free zones. And the Government must respect the Right to Information of the civilians.

We plead and pray for the intervention and solidarity of the international community to resolve this ethnic conflict.

Justice, International Affairs, Development & Service

Christian Conference of Asia