..:: Archdiocese of Colombo ::..

HOLY FATHER POPE BENEDICT XVI APPEALS TO THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY
FOR SRI LANKA

[ Fr. Sunil De Silva - 11.11.2009 ]

At the end of today's general audience, the Holy Father Pope Benedict XVI remarked upon the current situation in Sri Lanka, six months after the end of the conflict that bloodied the country.

"We note with satisfaction the efforts being made by the authorities over recent weeks, to facilitate the return home of people displaced by the war. I strongly encourage an acceleration in this process and ask all citizens to work towards rapid pacification in full respect for human rights, and towards a just political solution to the challenges still facing the country.

"I trust, moreover, that the international community will strive to meet the humanitarian and economic needs of Sri Lanka, and I raise my prayers to Our Lady of Madhu, that she may continue to watch over that beloved land". appeal Holy Father Pope Benedict XVI.

It was on 04th November 2009, a relegious delegation led by Most Ven. Bellanwila Wimalaratna Nayaka Thero - the Chief incumbent of the Bellanwila Raja Maha Viharaya and the Chancellor – Sri Jayawardenapura University and comprised of His Grace the Archbishop Most Rev. Dr. Malcolm Ranjith, the Archbishop of Colombo, Most Ven. Prof. Kumburugamuwe Vajira Nayake Thero, the Chief Incumbent of the Vidyalankara Pirivena and the Chancellor of Sabaragamuwa University, Mohamed Niyaz Moulavi, Director General of Ihsaniyyah Arabic College and the Coordinating Secretary to the President on Muslim Religious Affairs, Most Rev. Brahma Sri Kuhananda Sharma, Chief Priest of the Hindu Community and the Advisor on Hindu Affairs to the Ministry of Education, and Very Rev. Fr. Damian Fernando, Director of Caritas Sri Lanka, had a audience with the Holy Father to explain him the situation of Sri Lanka on their way to meet some of the members of the European Union.

( Vatican Information News - 11.11.2009 )

A RELIGIOUS DELEGATION TO APPEAL TO THE EUROPEAN UNION
FOR GSP PLUS CONCESSION FOR SRI LANKA

[ Fr. Sunil De Silva - 04.11.2009 ]

Most Ven. Bellanwila Wimalaratna Nayaka Thero together with Archbishop Malcolm Ranjith
presenting a silver 'Punkalasa' ( a pot pf prosperity ) to the Holy Father Pope Benedict XVI

A Religious Delegation headed by Most Ven. Bellanwila Wimalaratna Nayaka Thero - the Chief incumbent of the Bellanwila Raja Maha Viharaya and the Chancellor – Sri Jayawardenapura University and His Grace the Archbishop Most Rev. Dr. Malcolm Ranjith, the Archbishop of Colombo, Most Ven. Prof. Kumburugamuwe Vajira Nayake Thero, the Chief Incumbent of the Vidyalankara Pirivena and the Chancellor of Sabaragamuwa University, Mohamed Niyaz Moulavi, Director General of Ihsaniyyah Arabic College and the Coordinating Secretary to the President on Muslim Religious Affairs, Most Rev. Brahma Sri Kuhananda Sharma, Chief Priest of the Hindu Community and the Advisor on Hindu Affairs to the Ministry of Education, and Very Rev. Fr. Damian Fernando, Director of Caritas Sri Lanka, left the country on 2nd Nov. to meet some of the members of the European Union to appeal to them to continue to grant GSP Plus concession to Sri Lanka.

The delegation met the Holy Father Pope Benedict XVI on 04th Nov. 2009 and also His Eminence Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone, Secretary of State, followed by a meeting with Italy Foreign Affairs Minister Franco Frattini.

The delegation would proceed to Brussels, London and Paris to meet the other members of the European Union.

In a Press Release issued on 21st September by His Grace Archbishop Malcolm Ranjith, the Archbishop of Colombo appeals to the European Union to " I would appeal personally to our friends in the European Community, to help us bring about true peace and justice to all our citizens by continuing to accord the GSP Plus facility and all the other possible assistance to Sri Lanka. Achieving a sense of trust among us would best be served by that. Such would also be the best way in which the European Community could help the speedy resettlement of the internally displaced people, whose sufferings originated largely due to the destructive war foisted on this country by racial extremism. We need to experience your hand of friendship and help not only in the demining of the areas affected and relief and humanitarian assistance for the displaced, but also their speedy resettlement, development of vital infrastructure in the different towns and villages of the North and East and means of employment and economic activity for those affected. Sanctions will never be helpful in this kind of endeavour....."

The GSP Plus is a unilateral trade concession scheme from the European Union to Sri Lanka. . It allows Sri Lanka to export around 7,200 items to the EU, duty free.

Its most outstanding benefit however, has been to the local garment industry. Despite a slow takeoff since its original introduction in mid 2005, when no one knew what it was, the GSP Plus scheme has become a hot favourite with the local garment export industry. In 2007 the GSP Plus was given most of the credit for the impressive 22% growth in exports of clothing to the EU.

The GSP Plus concessions were given to Sri Lanka following the tsunami. The major objective was to facilitate speedy recovery. So our argument is that the GSP Plus has achieved this objective and has benefited Sri Lanka enormously, and not just by benefiting big businesses but also small businesses and workers.

PRESS RELEASE OF ARCHBISHOP MALCOLM RANJITH - 21.09.2009

For quite sometime now there has been a discussion on a possible removal of the GSP PLUS special concession accorded to Sri Lanka on its exports to Europe by the European Union. This concession had in fact been graciously accorded to our country by our European friends in the aftermath of the Tsunami disaster which had caused much human and economic damage in December 2004. This country cannot forget the great sense of solidarity shown to it on that occasion by the European Union both through this gesture as well as other expressions of solidarity. We are truly grateful to them for that.

However, the present difficulties Sri Lanka is experiencing in the aftermath of a brutal conflict of 30 years which led this country into a period of human and economic disaster, should not be underestimated by our friends overseas in approaching this delicate decision. Our country has suffered too much due to human selfishness. If anybody is suffering in this country today, as a result of that conflict it is largely due to a sense of polarization nurtured and augmented by separatist and exclusivist tendencies which destroyed the centuries old spirit of fraternity existing between the different communities of Sri Lanka.

It is time now for wounds to be healed through the fervent practice of the religious principles that constitute the soul of this country and it is our belief that the Sri Lankans are truly capable of achieving that by themselves without being pushed into it by external forces. Care and concern for human rights and for the needs of the IDP's do receive our attention, yet certain unavoidable circumstances cause delay too. The best attitude that friendly countries in the West or in the East could take is to help us achieve a stronger sense of unity, accountability and concern for the dignity and rights of our people, by strengthening the hands of the Sri Lankan political, religious and civil society leaders. It is best achieved by a pro-active approach.

In this sense I would appeal personally to our friends in the European Community, to help us bring about true peace and justice to all our citizens by continuing to accord the GSP PLUS facility and all the other possible assistance to Sri Lanka. Achieving a sense of trust among us would best be served by that. Such would also be the best way in which the European Community could help the speedy resettlement of the internally displaced people, whose sufferings originated largely due to the destructive war foisted on this country by racial extremism. We need to experience your hand of friendship and help not only in the demining of the areas affected and relief and humanitarian assistance for the displaced, but also their speedy resettlement, development of vital infrastructure in the different towns and villages of the North and East and means of employment and economic activity for those affected. Sanctions will never be helpful in this kind of endeavour.

We therefore fervently appeal to the European Community to be strongly proactive in its approach to Sri Lanka which has a proud history of close links with them, and needs to get back to normalcy soon.

+ Malcolm Ranjith
The Archbishop of Colombo

21st September 2009