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British Catholic aid for Lanka |
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Tuesday, 03 January 2006 |
His Eminence Cardinal McCormack Murphy O'Connor, Archbishop of the UK and Wales had an official meeting with President Mahinda Rajapakse at Temple Trees yesterday, writes Daily News 030106 at http://www.dailynews.lk/
Forwarded by Budhi Mulyawan 030106.
Cardinal O'Connor also represents the Catholic Agency for Overseas Development (CAFOD), which acts to eradicate poverty in developing countries. The Cardinal informed President Rajapakse that CAFOD was willing to provide Pounds Sterling 4.3 million for the construction of permanent houses in tsunami-affected areas of Batticaloa, Galle, Matara and Jaffna districts. The funds will be channelled through CARITAS, the local partner of CAFOD in Sri Lanka.
The leader of the Catholic Church in the UK and Wales was accompanied by the Archbishop of Colombo Rt. Rev. Oswald Gomis, Auxiliary Bishop of Colombo Rt. Rev. Marius Peiris, other members of the Catholic clergy and CAFOD and CARITAS representatives.
Cardinal O'Connor and the President also discussed the current situation in Sri Lanka, especially with regard to implementing the Ceasefire Agreement with the LTTE. President Rajapakse explained that the Government was committed to maintaining the Ceasefire Agreement and its readiness to find a negotiated solution through discussions with the LTTE.
Cardinal O'Connor said he appreciated the President's position and said he was impressed by the refusal of the President and the Government to respond to violence with violence, that was aimed at provoking such a reaction.
Cardinal O'Connor said it would be useful for both Buddhist and Catholic clergies to stand together in the demand for peace and an end to violence, which he had observed was the demand of all Sri Lankans.
President Rajapakse said he was discussing with the political parties in Parliament in arriving at a southern consensus on what should be the basis of negotiations with the LTTE and what the final solution should be.
The President said he would be appointing a special committee comprising representatives of political parties, other stakeholders in the peace process and lawyers with constitutional expertise soon to work out details of a consensus position for negotiations.
On Cardinal O'Connor's suggestion that it would be useful for Sri Lanka to study the Northern Ireland experience, President Rajapakse said that was being carefully studied and he had also seen the crisis there personally when he visited Northern Ireland.
The President added that he was prepared to ensure greater implementation of the 13th Amendment to the Constitution, which gave considerable devolution of power, as a first step towards seeking to meet the genuine need for devolution in the country, particularly in the North and East.
With regard to the assistance the Catholic Church in the UK could give towards the peace process, President Rajapakse explained to Cardinal O'Connor the reality of the large amounts of funds being raised by the LTTE in the UK and other European countries and requested him to use his good offices and the influence of the Catholic Church to stop this large scale fund raising where the funds did not go to help the poor Tamils but to further strengthen the LTTE through obtaining more arms that included modern and sophisticated weapons.
Cardinal O'Connor wished President Rajapakse success in his efforts to achieve genuine peace that was the pressing need of Sri Lankans and the assurance that the concerns raised by the President, particularly regarding the funds raising by the LTTE in the UK, would be seriously addressed.
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