Mannar Bishop calls for end to violence
[TamilNet, Friday, 16 June 2006, 18:21 GMT]
Rt.Rev.Rayappu Joseph, Bishop of Mannar Diocese Friday said killings of civilians have increased several folds after the first round of Geneva peace talks and appealed to the Government of Sri Lanka (GOSL) and Liberation Tigers of
Tamil Eelam (LTTE) to resume the stalled peace talks immediately, with the facilitation of the international community and to put an end to these killings. The Bishop was addressing a meeting held in the premises of Mannar St.Mary's Cathedral, Friday morning.
The meeting was organized by the Mannar District Citizens' Committee (MDCC). Rev.Fr.Emiliniuspillai, Chairman of the MDCC presided. Mannar Bishop further said no fair-minded person would endorse the killing of innocent civilians during the ceasefire period. The Bishop appealed to the parties concerned to the conflict to come forward to implement the ceasefire agreement in full. The violence in Mannar district has reached its maximum with the massacre of a family of four members including two children. In Kebbitigollawa also innocent civilians including children had been killed. In several violent incidents that took place in past in Trincomalee and Pollonaruwa members of all three communities had been killed, the Bishop added. Vanni district parliamentarians, MDCC officials and leading citizens of the district participated in the meeting. At the conclusion of the meeting MDDC officials handed over memoranda addressed to the President Mr.Mahinda
Rajapakse and the LTTE leadership to the Mannar Additional District Government Agent Mr.A.Neekilaspillai at the office of the latter. Meanwhile the peace demonstration scheduled to be held in Mannar town Friday morning was abandoned following a grenade attack at Pesalai in which 3 policemen were injured, sources said.
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