Sri Lanka: Church leaders testify before Reconciliation Commission

Several Catholic Church leaders in Sri Lanka gave testimony this week to the country’s Lessons Learnt and Reconciliation Commission, which has been set up in order to help the process of national healing after a decades-long civil war in which both government forces and ethnic Tamil rebels were accused of atrocities.

Leading the delegation representing the Catholic Church in Sri Lanka was the archbishop of Colombo, Cardinal-designate Malcom Ranjith, who emphasized the urgent need to move on the political front and take measures to tackle contentious issues without delay.

Some of those issues include controversial anti-terrorism legislation that critics say is being used to curtail the civil rights of minorities and their advocates, as well as unsettled accusations of ongoing human rights violations.

The Bishop of Batticaloa and Trincomalee, Joseph Kingsley Swamipillai also gave testimony.

Bishop Swampillai expressed grave concern over those who had gone missing since the conclusion of the war, and cited the disappearance of two priests, one in August 2006 and another in May of last year, as concrete instances of human rights violations.

He also discussed the grievances of those who had been denied access to detainees.

Bishop Swampillai told us the process of reconciliation is going to be lengthy and difficult.

"Reconciliation has a long way to go," he said, adding that the first steps must nevertheless be taken.

The bishop also said that reconciliation cannot go forward unless present and continuing injustices are seriously addressed.

The war in Sri Lanka lasted more than a quarter century, and cost the lives of as many as 100 thousand people.

Listen to Chris Altieri's report: