Jaffna Bishop urges international community to bring peace

(January 01, Jaffna, Sri Lanka Guardian) Bishop of Jaffna, Rt. Rev. Thomas Saundaranayagam, in his New Year message for the year 2009 has wished all a peaceful and prosperous new year.

The Bishop also urged international community to take steps for bringing peace in the island nation.

“The Holy See Benedict XVI had urged President Mahinda Rajapaksa to stop the war and strive for peace when the president met the Holy Pope at Vatican but the war atrocities have only escalated since then,” Rt. Rev. Thomas Saundaranayagam, Bishop of Jaffna said in his New Year message.

“The appeal made by the Bishops in Sri Lanka to stop the war too remains rejected, “ the message said, adding, “Even appeals made by several countries including India to stop the war had gone unheeded”.

The leaders of Sri Lanka and the foreign ambassadors stationed here should take into consideration the injustice committed against the peoples and work hard to find a permanent solution, the Bishop said in his message.

”The government’s war to capture the Vanni has resulted in the loss of lives and thousands of people being displaced in the year 2008. Jaffna peninsula and Vanni kept reverberating in the artillery fire and aerial attacks”.

Moreover, people faced severe economic crisis and natural disasters in Vanni and Jaffna peninsula including a major flood, it added.

”One cannot remain unconcerned about human lives when the people have to face a new year amidst great suffering and while the government looks forward to a new year in a state of 'victorious exhilaration”.

“I pray to God that all people should lead a life without the fear of war, happily and in prosperity, in an atmosphere where human rights are respected, in the year 2009,” the Bishop sought the blessings of God. - Sri Lanka Guardian