(COLOMBO, 23 June 2008)—Senior Buddhist, Hindu, Muslim and Christian leaders, representing the newly formed Inter-religious Council of Sri Lanka—Religions for Peace, met today with President Mahinda Rajapaksa to call for good governance and human rights in the midst of the government’s intensifying military campaign against the separatist military organization, Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE).

The delegation included Ven. Prof. Bellanwila Wimalaratana, Ven. Maduluwave Sobitha, Ven. Dr. Brahmanawatte Seevali, Karthikega Shanmugaratna Sharma, Bishop Rayappu Joseph, Bishop Harold Perera, Moulavi Niyas Mohammed, and Moulavi Mohamed Rizwe. Rev. Kyoichi Sugino, Director of Inter-religious Council Development and Field Coordination at Religions for Peace, joined the meeting as an international observer. The 20-member Inter-religious Council (IRC) of Sri Lanka–Religions for Peace was formally established on 28 April 2008 in Kandy after a series of consultations began in 2002 with Mahanayakes and leaders of major religious communities in different parts of the country; a major international multi-religious summit was held in Jaffna in December 2007.

Leaders of the IRC–Sri Lanka, in their meeting with President Rajapaksa, offered to facilitate a meeting between the President and the main opposition leader Mr. Ranil Wickremeshinghe. Despite the current military operation, religious leaders believed that two leaders should come together to promote national unity on good governance and human rights. (See full statement below.)

Specifically, the IRC–Sri Lanka urged President Rajapasksa to ensure that all political parties be included in the process of the All Party Representative Committee (APRC), and that the 13th Amendment to the Constitution should be fully implemented with necessary powers and resources devolved to the provinces. Obtaining justice through the Presidential Commission of Investigation into serious human rights violations was also called for by senior religious leaders. The President warmly welcomed the delegation and engaged in open and honest exchange of views regarding the current challenges facing the country. Senior religious leaders presented a statement of shared concern about governance and human rights to the President.

The IRC–Sri Lanka, an affiliate of Religions for Peace, is the country’s most representative multi-religious body with participation of such senior Tamil religious leaders from the north as Bishop of Manner. IRC–Sri Lanka is committed to becoming the multi-religious voice of the peoples of Sri Lanka, offering the possibility of mediation, rejecting extremist tendencies and educating the public about the positive, socially transformative power of religions and their cooperation.

Religions for Peace is the world’s largest and most representative multi-religious coalition advancing common action for peace since 1970. Headquartered in New York and accredited to the United Nations, Religions for Peace works through affiliated inter-religious councils in 70 countries in six continents.

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