"Endless debates are not the most urgent need": The Rt Rev Duleep de Chickera, Bishop of Colombo
(Photo: © Andreas Weise/CMS)
Anglican and Roman Catholic leaders unite in appeal for urgent ceasefire to enable evacuation
Arguing about who is more to blame for harming civilians in Sri Lanka’s war must not get in the way of saving lives.
That is the urgent message of Sri Lanka’s bishops in a statement issued yesterday (25 March).
The situation of thousands trapped by fighting between the government and the LTTE, or Tamil Tigers, is by all independent reports “absolutely desperate”, they say.
“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 bishops write.
“The immediate and absolutely urgent need is to recognise that this is a very critical humanitarian crisis faced by fellow Sri Lankans.”
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Bishops' statement in full
Human Rights Watch
Sri Lankan government
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The statement, issued jointly by the island’s Anglican and Roman Catholic bishops, calls for the government’s no-fire zone to be respected and for both sides to agree a temporary ceasefire so that civilians in need could be evacuated from immediate danger.
While the bishops expressed their gratitude that the government had declared a seven-mile long strip as a “no-fire zone”, this week Human Rights Watch said shelling there has continued.
“We receive reports of civilians being killed and wounded daily in the ‘no-fire zone’, while the Sri Lankan government continues to deny the attacks,” said Brad Adams, Asia director for Human Rights Watch. “The Tamil Tigers’ use of civilians as human shields adds to the bloodshed.”
Meanwhile “military sources” of the Sri Lankan government have said that since January more than 55,000 civilians have “fled the LTTE area to the safety of government held areas”.
Yet hospitals and humanitarian services in the affected areas are overwhelmed by the numbers of wounded, reported Adrian Watkins, CMS regional manager for South Asia, who visited Sri Lanka in February.
In their statement, the bishops return again and again to the urgent need of these voiceless and powerless “desperate Sri Lankans”.
“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,” the statement says.
“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.”
As the Church of Ceylon plans its long-term contribution to healing the wounds of a brutally divided country, CMS wants to be an active partner. We are grateful for any donations which will go to supporting the church’s response in the aftermath of the war.