World Council of Churches
EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE
Bossey, Switzerland
18-21 February 2003

MINUTE ON THE PEACE PROCESS IN SRI LANKA

At its last meeting in Geneva, Switzerland (26th August-3rd September, 2002) the WCC Central Committee adopted a statement on South Asia including Sri Lanka. The statement welcomed the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) arrived at between the government of Sri Lanka and Liberation Tigers of Tamil Ealam (LTTE) and urged the ecumenical community to accompany and support the churches in Sri Lanka in their journey to peace.

The Council has continued to monitor the Peace Process that has contributed in a substantial manner towards confidence building and to diffuse tension and conflict in the North. The peace process has gained tremendous enthusiasm and support of the people who have suffered two decades of hardship, deprivation and loss as a result of the ongoing ethnic conflict. While much has been achieved much more needs to be done. An agreement has yet to be reached on issues of resettlement of internally displaced persons, disarmament and the High Security Zones. Also remaining on the table to be tackled are sensitive issues like human rights and recruitment of children for war that LTTE continues to deny.

The journey to peace is only half way through and much remains to be covered. Obstacles are bound to come up like the recent aborted attempt by LTTE to smuggle arms into the country. These have to be taken in their stride and addressed diligently and firmly. The real test will come when parties begin to outline a constitutional framework that provides for devolution of power.

The role of the Norwegian government in facilitating and accompanying the peace process in a tenacious and sensitive manner needs to be recognised and appreciated. The international community should now come forward to provide the much needed aid and assistance for reconstruction and rehabilitation because it will go a long way to sustain the peace process. There is an urgent need to revive the domestic economy so that the people can benefit and take hope from the much promised peace dividend. While Norway and Japan have themselves committed significant help, other developed nations should follow their example.

The churches in Sri Lanka have provided cautious and critical support to the peace process, amongst others through interreligious cooperative endeavours to mobilise people for peace and national reconciliation. They have raised concern about the situation of the Muslim minority in the Northeast and about the ordinary people who have not reaped the benefits of the peace process due to lack of relief and rehabilitation in the affected areas.

The Executive Committee welcomes the developments in Sri Lanka in relation to the peace process and expresses its appreciation for the consistent cooperative efforts of the National Council of Churches in Sri Lanka and the Church of Norway, Council for Ecumenical Relations and International Affairs, to pursue relentlessly their efforts for peace. It calls on member churches and related agencies to: