Bishop commends military role in N-E

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Bishop commends military role in N-E

Colombo Bishop Rt Rev Duleep de Chickera yesterday commended the role played by military personnel in the North and East, especially during the post-war construction period. Calling for a comprehensive mechanism to heal memories and build trust among and within communities, he stressed the importance of introducing cross cultural education which will bring students of different ethnic communities together in areas where there are cosmopolitan communities.
Rt Rev Chickera was of the view that cross cultural education in areas where cosmopolitan communities live and integrated teaching of history will help dispel mistrust among the communities and will lay the foundation for reconciliation. He was giving evidence before the Lessons Learnt and Reconciliation Commission on behalf of the Church of Ceylon yesterday. He said special emphasis should be paid towards the victims of violence and the people who lived in threatened villages.
Rt Rev Chickera said the number of military personnel in the Northern region have to be reduced gradually and authority should be given to police to maintain the law and order in the region. "There must be an adequate number of Tamil speaking personnel in the Police Force in the North and the East," he added. He stressed the importance of having facilities for people in the North and the East to transact with Government officials including the police personnel in their own language.
The Bishop noted that a mechanism should be evolved to trace the lost documents such as birth certificates, educational certificates or land deeds. He opined that a mechanism to issue new documents in instances where original documents cannot be traced should be evolved for the benefit of the people in distress. The Colombo Bishop stressed that civil administration needs to be established soon.
He said the members of Armed Forces missed the opportunity for further studies during the past and they should be given advanced learning opportunities in tertiary education through various courses of study.
He said an independent view on the actual situation in the North and the East can be taken from civilians and organizations free from political affiliations.
The Colombo Bishop added that he always sought independent views from such groups and persons whenever he visited the North and the East and urged the Commission to take such independent views into account too.
He added that he was impressed to hear that the Commission has visited the North and the East and met the people who underwent numerous problems during the conflict. Kurunegala Vicar General Rt Rev Kumara Illangasinghe on behalf of the Church of Ceylon also testified before the Commission.
Courtesy : Daily News