‘Running to international community not acceptable’:
SL has inner strength to solve its problems - Cardinal
LLRC report will help us to overcome differences:
Archbishop of Colombo Rev Malcolm Cardinal Ranjith on Thursday said
that Sri Lanka is capable of solving its own problems and attempts by
some to run to the international community to solve problems is not
acceptable.
“We can solve our own problems because we have religious, spiritual
and the moral rectitude necessary in our own cultures to solve our
problems by ourselves. We also have the necessary courage to do that
because we are a people of courage,” he said.
He was of the view that the country has a golden opportunity to usher
in a period of co-existence, harmony and peace among the different
national and religious groups in this country.
The Cardinal was speaking at the State Christmas Festival held at
Temple Trees on Thursday under the patronage of President Mahinda
Rajapaksa. “These days we have had the release of the report of the
Lessons Learnt and Reconciliation Commission (LLRC) which is our own
organization where our people were members, participated, where many
people gave evidence from our own country. We can say the voice of our
own people, those who have suffered the difficulties of the war have
been recorded in this document,” he said.
The Archbishop said that the LLRC report is our own effort, the
result of our own effort.
“We have to be happy about it. We don’t have to feel that it has to
be the answer to all our questions. Still we can present it as a report
that will help us to achieve or start work towards achieving peace in
our country,” he added.
He added that the suggestions made by the LLRC also help the country
understand the truth of certain dark corners of the conflict that have
not been brought out so far. “It will help us to overcome our
difficulties and our differences and it will make that process launched
firmly for the future,” the Archbishop said.
“Let us take steps necessary in order not to create the mentality of
we versus you but we all together. We would like to request His
Excellency the President and the different political leaders of this
country to work towards this. I would say that this will not be such a
difficult problem if we all get together and work towards this,” he
added.
He said that the country has faced challenges.
“The first challenge is how to unite our people removing all the
causes of that conflict and ensuring that there is peace, harmony,
equality and dignity for all peoples in this country,” he said.
The Archbishop also added that it was also part of that challenge to
ensure that another conflict will not arise in the country. He also
stressed the importance of overcoming selfishness whether it is
manifested in the form of our love, for our language, our race or our
religion.
“If we don’t do that, there will never be peace in our country. We
also face the challenge of the international community not understanding
us in this effort to achieve total peace in our country,” he added.
The Archbishop emphasized the necessity of erasing all differences
and making all people in the country realize that they have all won the
battle of peace. |