The Catholic church Wednesday warned Sri Lanka’s government of foreign intervention unless it worked towards reconciliation and addressed allegations of war crimes during the war against LTTE.
Malcolm Ranjith, the archbishop of Colombo, said he was urging President Mahinda Rajapakse and the main ethnic Tamil party to hammer out a political settlement or risk an international probe.
“Foreigners should not tell us what to do... We are not a pack of fools,” the cardinal said. “But if we do not resolve these issues, then we open ourselves to foreign intervention.”
In a pastoral letter, the church warned that failure on the part of Colombo to ensure accountability for alleged war crimes could trigger international investigations that will be a “serious threat to the sovereignty of the country”.
The cardinal said the majority Sinhalese and Tamils should ensure reconciliation and politicians on both sides should be flexible and hammer out a political power sharing deal.
In its 24-page letter, the church also asked the government to ensure accountability for politically-motivated killings going back four decades, AFP reports.
