Rajapaksa to apostolic nuncio: get priests out of conflict zone

(February 05, 09) The government of Sri Lanka wants the Catholic priests present in the areas of fighting to go to the buffer zones under army control, taking the civil population with them. President Mahinda Rajapaksa himself has made the request to Archbishop Mario Zenari, the apostolic nuncio to the country, on the occasion of their meeting on February 2, at Temple Trees. The president asked the pontifical representative to inform all the religious present in the area of fighting between Tamil rebels and government forces. The Catholic priests and sisters are living with the refugees in the districts of Mannar, Vavuniya, Mullaitivu, and Kilinochchi. Rajapaksa says that, if they heed the request to move to the areas under the control of the military, they will contribute to the government's effort to help the population in the north, and to free it from the oppression of terrorism. Meanwhile, military operations continue in the area around Mullaittivu, and Colombo says that within a few days, the rebel forces will be defeated. The Red Cross says that it has been told by the government to evacuate the hospital and abandon the building. Meanwhile, during the country’s celebration of the 61st anniversary of its independence, Government claimed victories over the Tamil Tigers, proclaiming the imminent arrival of peace, and announcing a new era of freedom and harmony among the ethnic groups. The archbishop of Colombo, Oswald Gomis, says that "the time has come to restore the rule of law in our country. Both in the north and the south, people should feel free and be able to exercise the freedom that is their birthright."