The bombing on the morning of Easter Sunday in the St. Anthony’s Church in Kochchikade was only the beginning of what was to be a horrific series of attacks over many hours with multiple bombs that claimed at least 290 lives and have left more than 500 people injured. These blasts occurred in many places in Colombo and its surroundings and in the Zion Church, Batticaloa Town. These bombings have left all of Sri Lanka deeply saddened and shocked.
We at WCDM would like to express our deepest condolences to all those affected by these heinous acts of violence. We would like to particularly express our condolences and extend our unwavering support to all the women, children and men who have died or have been injured and their families at the Zion Church in our own Batticaloa town. We pray for the souls of the departed to rest in peace. We strongly condemn such barbaric inhuman violence.
Christianity in Sri Lanka has remained a religious path that has welcomed those of all communities and religions. To enact such violence on those of this religious faith that has espoused the message of peace and coexistence has caused deep anguish to those of all ethnic communities in the country. Those who lost their lives in this violence were of Tamil, Sinhala, Muslim and Burgher communities. These serial blasts have created shock and fear amongst all people and have raised numerous questions and suspicion about those who are responsible for this violence. We urge the Government to invest all its efforts in making sure that this violence does not become grounds for stoking ethnic hatred and violence.
Further, we urge all social-minded, religious leaders/institutions, journalists and others to consider carefully why such violence occurred in a place like Batticaloa, which is intrinsically mixed in terms of religious and ethnic communities. We have to work together in order to not let the already strained ethnic relations from growing into full blown splits between communities that have always coexisted in our region. We trust that all religious leaders and institutions will take the lead in making sure that the rumours that enable suspicions between different ethnic communities are countered in no uncertain terms.
Whatever our ethnic identity might be, we can all understand and deeply empathise with the devastated hearts of all those who have lost their children, brothers, sisters and parents. We know the history of the blood that has flowed on the East Coast since the 1980s. Because of this long-standing experience, we have no reason to invest our faith in anti terror laws that propagate violence and repression as a solution to such brutality. We strongly believe that the lasting solution to such hatred are our fundamental human relationships and support that has withstood the brutalities of war for decades. It is all our responsibility to work together to make sure that there is no room for the re-emergence of ethnic conflict, disruptions to everyday life and loss of peace and harmony in the East. Towards this end, we would like to place before you the following demands:
– To remember and express our deepest condolences to those who have lost their lives or were injured in the bombings in the South and the East.
– To commit to providing unwavering support to the families of those affected by this brutal violence.
– To commit to building inter-ethnic relations and to come together to fiercely protect our longstanding tradition of deep human relationships across different communities.
