Liberation Tigers Political Head B. Nadesan on April 7 sent an urgent letter to Norwegian International Development Minister Erik Solheim, placing a request to the Royal Norwegian Government to take steps to immediately end the military assault of the holy Madu shrine in Mannar district.
"The international community together with the international institutions that are concerned about protecting the historical treasures of the world must be brought together and we hope the Royal Norwegian Government together with them will take the necessary actions to end the attacks on the church," Mr. Nadesan urged Norway.
“We write to share with you our view about the zeal exhibited by the Sri Lankan State to destroy the Madhu church, a historically significant shrine revered by the entire Tamil nation,” the letter said.
“You are, of course, aware of the Sri Lankan State's year long, large scale military onslaught against us with the view to occupy Vanni. The world is also aware that the Sri Lankan State's military onslaughts are targeting the historical Madhu church in the Mannar district, the western region of Vanni.
“The Madhu church is a centuries old shrine revered by the Tamil people of all religions. That is why the Madhu church complex has been a place of refuge for people of all religions. This church has become a symbol of inter religious amity and goodwill among the Tamils,” the letter pointed out.
“The Sri Lankan State armed forces have directed their artillery fire incessantly towards this church over the last few weeks. Such a revered church that symbolizes inter religious tolerance was identified as a military target by the Sri Lankan State and it is being subjected to military onslaught. Yet, the international community has failed to stop or even condemn this atrocity. Tamil people are shocked by this silence of the international community,” Mr. Nadesan noted.
“The Sri Lankan military is using Multi-Barrel-Rocket-Launchers, artillery, mortar, and tanks to assault this holy shrine. Tragically, due to this indiscriminate military assaults, thousands of people who took refuge in the holy shrine complex and the church priests were forced displace from the complex together with the statue of Mother Mary of the Madhu church.
“Part of the shrine is already damaged by the Sri Lankan military attacks. There is continued danger that the church will sustain further damage because the Sri Lankan military is persisting with its onslaught.
“We would like to place a request through you, who is looked upon by the Tamil people as a peace envoy, to the Royal Norwegian Government to take steps to immediately end the military assault of the holy Madhu shrine,” the letter said.
“The international community together with the international institutions that are concerned about protecting the historical treasures of the world must be brought together and we hope the Royal Norwegian Government together with them will take the necessary actions to end the attacks on the church.
“The Sinhala State, which shows great keenness to protect Buddhist symbols and Buddhist temples, which shows great keenness to build new Buddhist temples in the Tamil areas that they occupy, is also vehement on destroying the religious symbols of other religions, thus hurting the feelings of people who follow other religions.
“As far as our movement and our people are concerned we continue to accept the facilitation role of the Royal Norwegian Government. As such we believe that we have a right to place such a request to them.
“We, therefore, ask you to urge the Royal Norwegian Government, with the help of the international community to stop the Sri Lankan State's military assault on a revered shrine of the people of Tamil Eelam,” Mr. Nadesan’s letter said.
Earlier Mr. Nadesan had issued a statement strongly condemning the indiscriminate shelling on the Madu Church and urging the International Community and Human Rights organizations to condemn the Government of Sri Lanka for 'barbarically' transforming a sacred shrine that offered refuge to displaced people into a battlefield.
He criticized the government for unleashing its army on an area that was ought to be free of war according to war ethics and UN conventions.
"Sinhalese armed forces are indiscriminately shelling the vicinity of the Madu Shrine and thus turning a shrine sacred to the Catholics into a battlefield. The Liberation Tigers vehemently condemn the Sri Lankan Government for giving a free reign to its army and unleashing it in an area that should be free of hostilities according to warfare ethics and UN conventions."
The Tiger Political Head termed as "barbaric" the Sinhalese government's act of making a war zone out of the Madu Shrine that provided refuge to thousands of internally displaced people. He recalled that in 1998, "invading Sinhalese troops had fired from armoured tanks laying siege to the Madu Shrine and killed more than 30 people, including children, women and the aged, who had sought refuge there."
Likewise, on February 29, 2008, Sri Lanka Army's claymore attack on schoolchildren travelling across the premises of the sacred Madu Shrine left 18 people, schoolchildren and civilians, dead.
"The Sinhalese armed forces that cause danger to the people has imposed yet another atrocity on them. Once again, the Sri Lankan government is striving to transform the sacred area of the Madu Shrine into a war zone."
"The international community together with the international institutions that are concerned about protecting the historical treasures of the world must be brought together and we hope the Royal Norwegian Government together with them will take the necessary actions to end the attacks on the church," Mr. Nadesan urged Norway.
“We write to share with you our view about the zeal exhibited by the Sri Lankan State to destroy the Madhu church, a historically significant shrine revered by the entire Tamil nation,” the letter said.
“You are, of course, aware of the Sri Lankan State's year long, large scale military onslaught against us with the view to occupy Vanni. The world is also aware that the Sri Lankan State's military onslaughts are targeting the historical Madhu church in the Mannar district, the western region of Vanni.
“The Madhu church is a centuries old shrine revered by the Tamil people of all religions. That is why the Madhu church complex has been a place of refuge for people of all religions. This church has become a symbol of inter religious amity and goodwill among the Tamils,” the letter pointed out.
“The Sri Lankan State armed forces have directed their artillery fire incessantly towards this church over the last few weeks. Such a revered church that symbolizes inter religious tolerance was identified as a military target by the Sri Lankan State and it is being subjected to military onslaught. Yet, the international community has failed to stop or even condemn this atrocity. Tamil people are shocked by this silence of the international community,” Mr. Nadesan noted.
“The Sri Lankan military is using Multi-Barrel-Rocket-Launchers, artillery, mortar, and tanks to assault this holy shrine. Tragically, due to this indiscriminate military assaults, thousands of people who took refuge in the holy shrine complex and the church priests were forced displace from the complex together with the statue of Mother Mary of the Madhu church.
“Part of the shrine is already damaged by the Sri Lankan military attacks. There is continued danger that the church will sustain further damage because the Sri Lankan military is persisting with its onslaught.
“We would like to place a request through you, who is looked upon by the Tamil people as a peace envoy, to the Royal Norwegian Government to take steps to immediately end the military assault of the holy Madhu shrine,” the letter said.
“The international community together with the international institutions that are concerned about protecting the historical treasures of the world must be brought together and we hope the Royal Norwegian Government together with them will take the necessary actions to end the attacks on the church.
“The Sinhala State, which shows great keenness to protect Buddhist symbols and Buddhist temples, which shows great keenness to build new Buddhist temples in the Tamil areas that they occupy, is also vehement on destroying the religious symbols of other religions, thus hurting the feelings of people who follow other religions.
“As far as our movement and our people are concerned we continue to accept the facilitation role of the Royal Norwegian Government. As such we believe that we have a right to place such a request to them.
“We, therefore, ask you to urge the Royal Norwegian Government, with the help of the international community to stop the Sri Lankan State's military assault on a revered shrine of the people of Tamil Eelam,” Mr. Nadesan’s letter said.
Earlier Mr. Nadesan had issued a statement strongly condemning the indiscriminate shelling on the Madu Church and urging the International Community and Human Rights organizations to condemn the Government of Sri Lanka for 'barbarically' transforming a sacred shrine that offered refuge to displaced people into a battlefield.
He criticized the government for unleashing its army on an area that was ought to be free of war according to war ethics and UN conventions.
"Sinhalese armed forces are indiscriminately shelling the vicinity of the Madu Shrine and thus turning a shrine sacred to the Catholics into a battlefield. The Liberation Tigers vehemently condemn the Sri Lankan Government for giving a free reign to its army and unleashing it in an area that should be free of hostilities according to warfare ethics and UN conventions."
The Tiger Political Head termed as "barbaric" the Sinhalese government's act of making a war zone out of the Madu Shrine that provided refuge to thousands of internally displaced people. He recalled that in 1998, "invading Sinhalese troops had fired from armoured tanks laying siege to the Madu Shrine and killed more than 30 people, including children, women and the aged, who had sought refuge there."
Likewise, on February 29, 2008, Sri Lanka Army's claymore attack on schoolchildren travelling across the premises of the sacred Madu Shrine left 18 people, schoolchildren and civilians, dead.
"The Sinhalese armed forces that cause danger to the people has imposed yet another atrocity on them. Once again, the Sri Lankan government is striving to transform the sacred area of the Madu Shrine into a war zone."
