Christian Bishops worried about the situation after General Fonseka’s arrest

(February 17, 2010) Sri Lankan Christians are deeply worried about the country’s political situation following the arrest of former army Chief General Sarath Fonseka in the wake of last month’s presidential elections. For Mgr Duleep de Chickera, Colombo’s Anglican bishop, “Sri Lanka faces yet more political turmoil.” Mgr Vianney Fernando, Catholic bishop of Kandy and president of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Sri Lanka, also expressed concern, saying however that he was confident in the Nation’s “law and legal system”. For him, the country needed above all to work on reconciliation and unity after long years of civil war. “The manner of the arrest and detention of General Sarath Fonseka has disturbed all Sri Lankans who value dignity and order in public affairs,” Bishop de Chickera said. “It is a blot on the democratic, cultural and religious traditions and image of our country. The world has also expressed concern over these events and their implications on the rights of individual citizens and the democratic integrity of our beloved Sri Lanka,” the prelate said. “In the event that the prevailing confusion is not clarified and a transparent judicial process is not set in place, this action is likely to be interpreted as an attempt to humiliate a presidential candidate, he added. Mgr Vianney has a more positive view of the matter. “We believe that the President has been duly elected and is entitled to govern. The tension is now sporadic and protests have been mainly generated by the clamour and the manner in which Fonseka was taken into custody.”