(World
Alliance for Peace in Sri Lanka)
(World
Alliance for Peace in Sri Lanka)
PO Box 4066, Mulgrave VIC 3170, Australia
Phone:
+61 3 9548 0276 Fax: +61
3 9584 0276
Email:
ranjiths@spur.asn.au,
Website: http://www.spur.asn.au
Tuesday,
21 September 2004
The
World Alliance for Peace in Sri Lanka (WAPS) is alarmed by a report given
extensive coverage in Sri Lankan media that the Malwatte Mahanayake Thero
plans to visit the North to meet Tamil Tiger terrorists to discuss the
terrorist issue. WAPS urges the most Venerable Mahhanayaka Thero to resist
efforts made to involve him in a dialogue with the LTTE terrorists at the
behest of well-known LTTE sympathisers who were closely associated with the
former Government.
The
most Venerable Tibbutuwawe Sri Siddhartha Sumangala Thero will do well to stay
away from this scheming LTTE sympathisers who are yet to utter any word of
substance criticising the LTTE. On the contrary, there is even photographic
evidence of the participation in the LTTE activities by some of the prominent
politicians who are advocating that the most venerable Maha Nayaka thero to
visit the North. Furthermore, the Venerable Thero risks becoming inadvertently
involved in a subversive plot hatched by the treacherous elements to use the
good thero’s compassionate outlook towards all human beings to drive a wedge
between the JVP and the PA members of the current alliance Government.
Taking
Stock
Before
the Venerable Mahanayake Thero proceeds with plans to begin a dialogue with
the LTTE terrorists, we wish to request the Thero to consider the following
issues so that he will be able to judge for himself the advantages and
disadvantages resulting from such a damaging visit.
-The
LTTE leader and his cadres were directly responsible for massacring pilgrims
at the sacred Bo Treee in Anuradhapura, for bombing the Dalada Maligawa and
have never expressed their remorse for these crimes.
-The
LTTE leader and his cadres were responsible for killing Buddhist leaders such
as chief incumbent theros at Tantirimale, Padavi Sri Pura and Dimbulagala who
were working with the Buddhist community in the East and in the North of Sri
Lanka. The LTTE killed scores of innocent novice Buddhist monks in Aranthalawa
and to date continue attacking Buddhist clergy and Buddhist places of worship.
-The
LTTE continues to kill civilians, especially Tamils with impunity in the East
and the North as well as in Colombo. Over the last weekend, they executed
Thambirasa Sivakumar (EPDP member) in Puttlam and Arumugam Chandramohan, the
former EPDP member of the Point Pedro Pradeshiya Saba in Jaffna.
-The
LTTE continues to violate international covenants against the recruitment of
children as child soldiers as detailed by the Save the Children organisation
and UNICEF.
-The
LTTE continues to insist that the North and the East are the homelands of
Tamils and continue to promote their plan to create a separate state using
terrorist tactics.
-They
have abducted two innocent villagers for the Trincomalee area and are
currently holding them hostage whilst subjecting them torture demanding the
release of convicted LTTE criminals.
A
visit last month by WAPS members to a number of Buddhist temples in the North
and the East in Sri Lanka showed us that they were in diabolical trouble. In
particular:
-Ampitiye
Seelawansa Thero is fighting a lone battle safeguarding our Buddhist heritage
at Welgamvehera near Kanniya in the Tricomalee district;
-There
is no monk at the Thiriyaya temple further North of Nilaweli as it is
constantly threatened by LTTE terrorists;
-Karambankulame
Siri Damma thero at Padavi Sri Pura is struggling to feed the student priests
receiving education at the piriwena
-Etambagaskada
Kalyanatissa Thero is constantly under pressure as he keeps on searching for
means to support 65 orphans domiciled in his temple near Vavuniya
-Nilpanagoda
Chanasumna Thero has no proper roof for his residence at Awaranthulawa, a
village close to Vavuniya hit many times by the LTTE terrorists.
The
list is endless.
Whist
this neglect is taking place it has been reported that certain provincial
politicians are destroying the Mangala Maha Viharaya in Pothuvil with
centuries old artefacts; statues and image houses while officials of the
Archaeology Department close their eyes and deny such actions are taking
place. None other than the Venerable Ellawala Medhananda Thero has confirmed
this. The nayaka thero said that there was historical evidence to indicate
that the temple was the original place of Queen Vihara Mahadevi's landing, and
that the systematic destruction of our historical heritage should be of great
concern to peace loving citizens of all religious faiths in Sri Lanka.
According
to media reports, the Venerable Maha Nayaka Thero's plan is to meet members of
the terrorist hierarchy who have declared war against the legally elected Sri
Lankan Government and its good people who have embraced democracy. Such a
visit will only confer 'legitimacy' to the terrorist leader and his murderous
organisation, who have killed thousands of Sri Lankans including a large
number of Buddhist priests over the last 10 years.
We
understand the thero’s feelings of compassion and the extension of loving
kindness to all human beings, including those that have been seduced by
terrorism. Although driven with noble intentions, the thero’s visit to meet
the Tamil Tiger terrorist leaders will further strengthen the LTTE, establish
legitimacy and contribute towards whitewashing their atrocious human rights
record with only LTTE’s rhetorical commitment to peace.
Way
Forward
In
keeping with the august position held, if the Thero plans to speak to the
Tamil tiger terrorists from a high moral ground, we request the thero to:
-Consult
with other national minded, patriotic leading Buddhist Nayaka theros,
-Develop
an agreed position on the terrorist problem and plan an engagement strategy
based on individual accountability and reciprocal action to protect Sinhala
Buddhist interests
-Assist
key Buddhist temples such as Madukanda, Thiriyaya and Welgamvehera etc in the
East and the North on the verge of devastation by LTTE terror
-Take
immediate action to catalogue and protect historical archaeological sites in
the North and East of Sri Lanka
-Desist
any attempt to involve the Malawatte chapter for discussions with the Tamil
Tiger terrorists as it will only result in a public relations exercise that
will greatly benefit the terrorists to further their divisive, fascist, racist
plans. Such a plan will irrecoverably harm the unity of the Sinhala Buddhist
laity as well as the respected and venerated clergy.
We
would most respectfully state that a hastily arranged visit by the Mahanayaka
thero to Kilinochchi at the behest of terrorist sympathisers would generate a
perception amongst the national and international community that the Nayaka
thero of the Malwatte Chapter has officially recognised the LTTE as the
undisputed representative of Tamils from the North and East. This will
contribute to denigrating the immense respect commanded by the Venerable thero
irrecoverably damaging his position as the Mahanayaka and for the first time
in history, raise questions about the relevance of the Malwatte chapter in
contemporary Sri Lanka.
We
appeal to the most Venerable Tibbutuwawe Sri Siddhartha Sumangala Thero to
cancel his plan (if he had any) of visiting Kilinochchi to meet with LTTE
terrorists. We urge the thero to prove leadership and adopt the strategic
approach proposed by WAPS to engage the terrorists, as the Venerable thero’s
primal responsibility is to protect the Budda sasanaya in Sri Lanka and lead
the Malwatte chapter.
May
the Triple Gem guide the Thero in his attempts to usher in a period of much
needed and universally desired peace in Sri Lanka.
Dr.
D. Jayasuriya
President,
Society for Peace, Unity and Human Rights of Sri Lanka (SPUR) Victoria
For World Alliance for Peace in Sri Lanka (WAPS)
President -
Sri Lanka United National Association of Canada
President
- Society for Peace, Unity and Human Rights of Sri Lanka (SPUR) Victoria
President -
Society for Peace, Unity and Human Rights of Sri Lanka (SPUR) NSW
President - Western Australian Society for Peace Unity and Rehabilitation (WASPUR) in Sri Lanka
President -
Sri Lankans Against Terrorism- NSW
President -
Sinhala Cultural and Community Services F. Vic
President -
Apey Shakthi- New Zealand
Coordinator -
Hela Muthu Ketaya, New Zealand
President -
Canadian Association for United Sri Lanka-Canada
President -
Sri Lankan United National Association-Canada
President -
Sinhala Centre- U.K
President -
The International Campaign for the Liberation of the Sinhala Nation-
U.K
President -
Sinhala Association of Sri Lankans in the U.K
President -
New York Society of United Sri Lankans-U.S.A
President -
United Sinhalese Association in Italy- Rome.
President -
Pacific Alliance for Peace in Sri Lanka, Vic (National Office),
Australia
President - Alliance Against Tamil Domination, UK
President - Veera Parakramabahu Foundation (VPF), NSW, Australia