Thinking about persons and organisations that could prevail upon the Liberation Tamil Tigers of Tamil Eelam to release those unfortunate civilians in the Wanni who are being held back against their wishes, my mind went back to the late 1990s. It was about this time, I believe, that a delegation from Colombo that included the then Bishop of Colombo, the Rt. Rev. Kenneth Fernando, went to the North to talks with the LTTE.
When the delegation returned, the media quoted the Rt. Rev. Kenneth Fernando as saying that the LTTE leader Veluppillai Prabhakaran was the most “humane” person he had ever met. The news item also mentioned that the LTTE leadership had treated the delegation with chocolates that were “delicious”.
Let’s forget the sweetness of the chocolates for a moment.
Why is the former Bishop so quiet these days, when he should be busy persuading this “humane” individual to release the civilians – including children – who are being held by the LTTE?
These innocent, hapless people are being forcibly held by Prabhakaran as human shields against the heroic forward march of the government’s armed forces.
It is heartening that the present Bishop of Colombo, the Rt. Rev. Duleep Chickera, is doing everything he can to help these unfortunate people.
He not only frequently visits the besieged areas in the North, he also interacts with the leaders of various religious denominations in order to foster peace and harmony in this troubled land.
|
E-mail