Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
Colombo (Fides Service) - “Each of us must be responsible and help to keep alive hopes for peace. We trust in the help of God and all people of good will that in Sri Lanka the feeble flame of hope will not be extinguished. Every heart longs for peace, this is a common denominator. We call on the international community to help us remain in a climate of trust and reconciliation”: this was the appeal launched through Fides by Archbishop Mario Zenari, papal nuncio to Sri Lanka, after recent serious episodes of violence rocked the country.
At least 45 military, regular soldiers and Tamil troops, were killed in a naval battle yesterday off the northern coast of Sri Lanka in the fiercest conflict since a cease fire came into force in 2002 after 20 years of civil war. In the battle the LTTE Liberation Tigers of Tamil EELAM used a boat filled with explosives to sink a navy ship while the navy sank five Tamil ships. The navy ship was escorting 710 soldiers on a ferry boat which was unscathed. After the sea battle government planes and helicopters bombed rebel controlled areas mainly in the district of Kilinochchi while the artillery shelled rebel bases in Trincomalee.
These recent war operations follow episodes of violence in recent weeks. For many observers “civil war has resumed”. The Church in Sri Lanka has expressed deep concern for this rapidly deteriorating situation. “The fact is that at the root of the conflict there are situations of injustice and discrimination which still have to be solved”, say local sources. Even the work of rebuilding after the tsunami was affected by the climate of tension and violence. Just as the process of reconstruction and normalisation was making progress war stopped activity of solidarity especially for the people in the north of the Island. “This is a double injustice against people affected by the tsunami because activity of solidarity is suspended and with it their hopes to return to normal life, a home, a job, and school for the children”.
(Agenzia Fides 12/5/2006 righe 28 parole 288)
