Sri Lanka bishops tell president to promote peace and development
(January 29, 2010) The Catholic bishops of Sri Lanka have appealed to the newly re-elected
Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa to make peace and development the nation’s
priorities. “We hope that the elected president will work to promote peace and development
in the nation: these are priority concerns,” Bishop Vianney Fernando of Kandy told
Fides news agency. Bishop Fernando, who is the president of Sri Lanka’s Catholic
bishops said, “We are hoping for a peaceful and democratic evolution of the situation.
Democracy takes its course, we respect that and hope for a bright future for the country,
especially in resolving the issues relating to the Tamil minority.” The Tamil ethnic
minority that forms 13% of the mostly Sinhalese population of Sri Lanka is mostly
base in the north. Oblate of Mary Immaculate priest Fr. M. Praveen, Director of the
Center for Peace and Reconciliation in Jaffna, in the north, told Fides news that
the Tamil community was disheartened. People feel “there is little hope for the future
and there is fear that the Tamil will still be penalized.” Fr. Praveen said the
fact that only 20% of Tamils went to Tuesday’s presidential poll is evidence of mistrust.
However, he added, they are trying to work with youth and children to help build peace
and reconciliation.