Hotline Asia would like to invite you to join
the signature campaign for the protection of a
cherished shrine in Mannar - the Madhu Shrine -
which is under serious military threat.
Internally displaced people, who have been
seeking refuge at the shrine in the past 3
decades, and the Church administration were
forced to flee in early April 2008.
Despite the Church administration’s effort
to maintain the shrine area purely as a place of
religious worship and a place of refuge for
displaced people, shells fell in the Madhu Shrine
area, which is in the battle front, on 31 March
2008. In addition to the damage, it intensified
the fear. While most people in the area had fled
previously, in the face of the dangerous
situation, the priests and others remaining were
compelled to flee later in the week, taking with
them the sacred “Our Lady of Madhu”
statue.
In support of Rev. Rayappu Joseph, Bishop of
Mannar, who issued a statement on 1 April 2008 to
urge the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE)
and the Sri Lankan government to refrain their
military and political activities from the shrine
area, the civil society will hold a prayer
gathering and possibly a demonstration on 22
April 2008 at the Fatima Church in Maradana. At
the same time, they are soliciting support to
urge LTTE and the government to:
• keep its cadres away from the Shrine area;
• refrain from using it for military,
political and propaganda purposes;
• ensure that the Shrine be solely and
completely under the control and administration
of the Church; and
• accept the Madhu Shrine area as a Zone of
Peace, and for the President of Sri Lanka to
formally declare it as such through a special
gazette notification.
Church leaders will pass collected signatures to
the LTTE leader and the President of Sri Lanka.
How to Support:
Collect signatures / send your signature to Mr.
Ruki on or before 30 April 2008.
You may refer to this form: www.acpp.org/downloads/madhu_church_appeal_080421.pdf
Email: rukiii@gmail.com
Fax: 94-11-2686843
Post: 3, Kynsey Terrace, Colombo 8, SRI LANKA
(Attn: Ruki)
Kindly send a copy to ACPP:
Email: hotline@acpp.org
Fax: 852-27120152
Post: 1/F, 52 Princess Margaret Road, Kowloon,
HONG KONG
To learn more:
Struggle of the Church and the Displaced People
in Mannar:
www.acpp.org/downloads/madhu_background_080421.pdf
Press Release by Bishop of Mannar dated 1 April
2008:
www.acpp.org/downloads/madhu_bishop_statement_080421.pdf
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