Eleventh General Synod

12 (28) Sri Lanka

That, We the members of the Eleventh General Synod of The Anglican Church of Australia (on 18 February 1998) draw the attention of the Church and the wider Australian community to the current situation in Sri Lanka. In making this statement we acknowledge:

* That Australia itself has been complicit with, as well as the economic beneficiary of colonialism in the island of Ceylon now known of as Sri Lanka;

* That Sri Lanka is engaged in a civil war, based on ethnic differences between the majority Sinhalese and minority Tamil communities;

This General Synod -

(a) Calls upon the United Nations General Assembly to:

* Urge the Sri Lankan Government and all those exercising leadership of the Tamil community in Sri Lanka, including the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam, to find a political solution to the conflict which recognises the right of the Tamil people to determine their political status and the need to assure full human rights of all people in Sri Lanka.

* Direct nations and agencies supplying arms, ammunition, landmines and other forms of military support to both sides of the conflict, especially those wanting to sell off stockpiles of weapons, to cease such activities immediately

* To offer a service of mediation to Sri Lanka for the resolution of conflict

(b) Calls upon the Australian Government to:

* Seek support from the international community especially through the United Nations to be active in pressuring all parties to seek a resolution which provides safety, security, health, shelter and human dignity for all Sri Lankans

* Initiate a multi-partisan motion in the parliament in support of achieving peace in Sri Lanka through international mediation.

(c) Calls upon the Sri Lanka Government and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam to:

* Cease immediately the armed conflict which has brought death and devastation to all Sri Lankans;

* Pursue a just and peaceful solution which will ensure the identity and dignity of all ethnic groups.

We assure the people of Sri Lanka and particularly the Church in the island of our support and prayers for a just and lasting settlement to the conflict.

Bishop George Browning,
Canberra and Goulburne
Australia.