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Churches say development needed to aid peace process in Sri Lanka
2002-241-3
10/18/2002
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[Episcopal News Service]
Church leaders and Christian activists in Sri Lanka have said that action to rebuild war-ravaged areas and restore the economy is now needed to assist the government's bid to seek peace after 19 years of armed conflict.
Welcoming peace talks, Duleep de Chickera, Anglican bishop of Colombo, said: 'Now there is a gradual shift from suspicion to trust.'
'Despite the positive change in the culture of violence,' Chickera warned, the 'peace rhetoric does not have any meaning for most people, especially the poor in the conflict areas, who measure peace with development.'
Though everyone was happy about the recent exchange of 20 prisoners by the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Elam (LTTE), as they are officially known, and the Sri Lankan army, the Anglican bishop said, 'People want food to fill their stomachs and roofs over their heads.'
G. L. Peiris, the Sri Lankan government's chief peace negotiator, announced a meeting of international aid donors would be held to rebuild the embattled areas. He made the declaration on his return to the island from Thailand after historic peace talks with the Tamil Tigers to resolve the ethnic conflict that has since 1983 claimed nearly 65,000 lives.
The LTTE has aided the peace process by saying it is prepared to give up its demand for an independent Tamil homeland and to settle for regional autonomy and self-government.
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