Action Card Briefing

Sri Lanka

February 2010

In December 2009, the European Commission announced a suspension of preferential trade status with Sri Lanka as a consequence of the treatment of the Tamil population in the final stages of the military campaign against the Tamil Tiger rebels (LTTE). 

The government of Sri Lanka have attracted widespread criticism for the shelling of civilian areas leading to the deaths of thousands of civilians.  In addition an estimated 300,000 people were relocated to internment camps which remained closed to outside agencies and journalists until December 2009.  The government has promised to return people to their homes by the end of January 2010. 

On 26 January Sri Lanka will hold a Presidential election.  The two leading contenders are President Mahinda Rajapaksa and his challenger, the former army chief, Sarath Fonseka.  Both had a prominent leadership role in the military campaign against the LTTE.  The challenge for any new government must be to satisfy the legitimate demands of Tamils who make up 18% of the population and to begin to restore peace, trust and confidence.

• Pray for Christians in Sri Lanka as churches are involved in the delivery of aid and initiatives to promote peace and interfaith collaboration. 
  
• 
  Write to the Foreign Secretary, David Miliband MP, to ask for Britain to use its influence to ensure that Government of Sri Lanka relocate all those in internment camps and to ask the President to outline concrete actions that his government will take to encourage meaningful political devolution and economic development in order to ensure a secure future for all.
  
  
• As the situation is changing please check the following web page for updated information and actions, www.methodist.org.uk/srilanka or contact hucklesbys@methodistchurch.org.uk.