Church urges Sri Lanka to end Jaffna crisis by reopening road

Published: 2006-11-15

NEW DELHI (CNS) -- The Catholic Church has reiterated a request that the Sri Lankan government end the humanitarian crisis in the Jaffna peninsula by reopening a highway that connects it to the main part of the country. Father Damian Fernando, executive director of Caritas Sri Lanka, told Catholic News Service Nov. 15 that all participants in a Nov. 14 meeting organized by Caritas Sri Lanka unanimously agreed that Highway A9 must be reopened for the Tamil population. Religious and political leaders, including members of the ruling Sri Lanka Freedom Party, have endorsed the church's appeal. Nearly 500,000 Tamils have faced food and medicine shortages since Sri Lankan security forces closed the highway in August after war nearly broke out between government forces and the rebel Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam. Highway A9 passes through the Wanni region controlled by the Tamil rebels. The rebels have their own parallel government, which includes police and a court system.

Copyright (c) 2006 Catholic News Service /U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops. The CNS news report may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or otherwise distributed, including but not limited to such means as framing or any other digital copying or distribution method, in whole or in part without the prior written authority of Catholic News Service .