Archbishop of Canterbury accepts Colombo's military action

[TamilNet, Friday, 11 May 2007, 17:46 GMT]
The head of the Anglican Church, the Archbishop of Canterbury, has gone on record Friday as saying it was “inevitable” that Sri Lanka was launching “surgical military action against terrorism.” Archbishop Rowan Williams told the BBC Sinhala service, Sandeshaya, he hoped this action would lead to an opening of communication between the Sri Lankan government and the Liberation Tigers. The Archbishop concluded a 3-day visit to Sri Lanka earlier this week.

"It is undoubtedly inevitable that what you might call surgical military action against terrorism should take place", Archbishop Williams said.

The Archbishop said that he hoped and prayed that military action would lead to an opening of communication between the government and the Tamil Tigers.

SL President Mahinda Rajapaksa shaking hands with Archbishop Rowan Williams, Rohitha Bogollagama the SL Foreign Minister and Douglas Devandanda, leader of EPDP paramilitary group and SL Minister of Social Services and Social Welfare standing beside.


"But we all hope and pray that that will lead not to ...victory for one, defeat for another, but to an opening of communication, a re-establishment of the possibilities for civil society to develop", he said.

The Archbishop told journalists in Colombo, the government’s military solution to the problems of the country "increasingly appears to be no solution".

In a press release before leaving for Sri Lanka, the Archbishop said: “Sri Lanka is a place in which conflict and violence has become a reflexive response to political difficulty.”

Meanwhile, the Mahanayaka of the Asgiriya Chapter of Sri Lanka’s Buddhist clergy, told the Archbishop that religious leaders should keep away from interfering into state affairs in war situations.

The Most Ven.Udugama Sri Buddharakkhita Thero told the Archbishop it is a section of the people in north and east that had launched a rebellion against the government demanding a part of the country.

“The Sri Lankan government is engaged in a war to control this situation. We are neutral in that respect and our hopes are for peace”, the Mahanayaka Thero said in comments reported on Sandeshaya.


Chronology:


Related Articles:
20.04.07   Respect human rights, resume negotiations, Holy See tells Ra..

 

Latest 15 Reports
24.04.22 05:44  
தீவின் நெருக்கடிச் சூழலில் ஈழத்தமிழர் தேசம் கடைப்பிடிக்கவேண்டிய நிலைப்பாடுகள்
09.04.22 14:44   Photo
குறிதவறும் ஈழத்தமிழர் தலைமைகளுக்கு வரலாறு தருகின்ற எச்சரிக்கை
21.01.22 07:24   Photo
ஈழத்தமிழர் தேசத்தின் தலைமைத்துவம் தேர்தல் அரசியற் கட்சிகளுக்கு அப்பாலானது
02.11.21 15:32   Photo
13 ஆம் சட்டத்திருத்தத்தால் கட்டமைக்கப்பட்ட இன அழிப்பை எதிர்கொள்ள முடியுமா?
15.09.21 08:19  
English version not available
17.05.21 19:23   Photo
Ananthi blames war criminal Silva for blocking collective memorial at Mu'l'livaaykkaal
09.04.21 14:46  
English version not available
23.03.21 12:41   Photo
No focus on Tamil genocide, geopolitics gets played out in Geneva in favour of QUAD formation
21.03.21 13:34   Photo
Navi Pillay explains ‘human rights’ limitations in Geneva on Tamil genocide
15.03.21 20:36   Photo
Deceived Tamil activists in UK falsely claimed ‘substantial changes’ to Zero draft
09.03.21 21:34   Photo
UK repeatedly wronged Tamils says hunger-striker, demands genocide justice
26.02.21 11:53   Photo
Tamils witness false dilemma in Geneva as geopolitical formations pit against each other
19.02.21 14:02   Photo
UK not prepared to push for ICC option in new UNHRC Resolution
07.02.21 23:16   Photo
Unprecedented P2P uprising paves the way for rights-oriented politics of Tamils and Muslims
22.01.21 08:01   Photo
Gotabaya sets up deceptive COI citing ‘sovereignty’ and ‘non-aligned’ foreign policy
 
Find this article at:
http://www.tamilnet.com/art.html?catid=13&artid=22135