Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
Colombo (Agenzia Fides) -Recrudescent civil strife in Sri Lanka is causing widespread suffering among the local people. For weeks the regular army has been trying to flush out from their bases Liberation Tigers of Tamil EELAM rebel forces who reportedly opened fire on army positions, violating a 2002 cease fire agreement. Appeals from the United Nations have gone unheeded and hostilities continue mainly in the east of the Island.
Some days ago at the high price of 400 lives and tens of thousands of displaced persons who fled the area, the Sri Lankan army took the Tamil separatist stronghold town of Vakarai, 240 km north east of Colombo after two weeks of fighting. Some 45 army soldiers are reported dead and 180 wounded, and that no less that 331 Tamil fighters fell in battle. Vakarai Hospital was caught in cross fire and had to be evacuated by the army, according to Red Cross Italy which has an aid programme at the medical centre.
The loss of Vakarai, assigned to the rebels in the Government-LTTE treaty signed with Norwegian mediation 2002, forced the separatists to move further north. However, bent on eradicating the separatist rebels completely, the army will continue to advance in the east and north.
Some 20,000 people fled from Vakarai, which before the battle had a population of 35,000. According to Jesuit Refugee Service (JRS) staff in the area because school material is scarce many children do not attend school and there is also a shortage of food supplies and medicines. Fr. Vinny, JRS Sri Lanka director fears the shortage of food and medicine may increase the risk of disease.
In an open letter to Bishop Rayappu Joseph of the diocese of Mannar informed the Government of that people in fishing villages including many Catholic families are at the mercy of violence on the part of army troops.
In Sri Lanka in 2006 some 3,000 people were killed in ambushes, suicide bombings and clashes. The spiral of violence increased fear of a flare-up of civil war which in 20 years caused over 70,000 victims. (PA)(Agenzia Fides 23/1/2007 righe 28 parole 282)
