Justpeace Blog

scmp - Wednesday, December 15, 2004

ASSOCIATED PRESS in Colombo
Updated at 3.52pm:
A Norwegian peace broker was set to meet with Tamil Tiger rebel leaders Wednesday in the latest effort to revive long-stalled peace talks between the guerillas and the Sri Lankan government, an official said.

Norwegian envoy Erik Solheim was travelling to the northern rebel-held town of Kilinochchi for a meeting with the insurgents' political chief S P Thamilselvan, said Norwegian Embassy spokeswoman Kjersti Tromsdal.

The meeting has been delayed after Mr Solheim's helicopter was forced to land in bad weather, she said.

Mr Solheim met on Tuesday with the head of a European team monitoring a February 2002 ceasefire between the rebels and government troops.

Talks aimed at ending two decades of civil war in this South Asian island nation came to a halt in April 2003 when the Tigers withdrew, demanding more autonomy for areas dominated by the ethnic Tamil minority.

Stubbornness and distrust on both sides have blocked international efforts, led by Norway and Japan, to bring the two sides back to the negotiating table.

Meanwhile, ambassadors of Japan, the European Union and the United States said in a joint statement on Wednesday that they've expressed concern to President Chandrika Kumaratunga over her Marxist coalition partner's opposition to the Norwegian-brokered peace process.

The Marxist People's Liberation Front, dominated by the Sinhalese majority, opposes any concessions being given to the rebels and accuses Norway of siding with the Tigers. The group has 39 members in the 225-seat parliament.

The Tigers warned last month that unless talks resume immediately based on their proposal for self-rule - which calls for a largely independent territory for Tamils - the insurgents will resume their "freedom struggle".

The government, however, says talks must also involve exploring a permanent settlement along the lines of a federal solution.

Liberation Tigers of Tamileelam began their violent campaign in 1983 to create a separate state for ethnic minority Tamils accusing the Sinhalese of discrimination. About 65,000 people were killed in the conflict before the cease-fire.

scmp - Tuesday, December 14, 2004

BARADAN KUPPUSAMY in Kuala Lumpur
Church leaders and government officials have successfully headed off an unholy row over an official Christmas party in which the name of Jesus is not uttered, to protect Muslim sensibilities.

The umbrella body for Christians, the Christian Council of Malaysia, said it would go along with an informal request from officials not to sing hymns and carols that overtly mentioned or praised Jesus at the party on Christmas night. About 50,000 multiracial Malaysians and tourists are expected to attend the party, organised jointly by the council and the government.

The organisers also barred the nativity scene and biblical phrases, but not Christmas trees or cakes.

The Reverend O.C. Lim, an outspoken priest, wrote a letter to the council last month strongly criticising the church and the government for sidelining Jesus.

"It is outrageous, scandalous and sacrilegious," Mr Lim wrote, adding that Jesus as the son of God could not be downgraded to the status of a cultural sage such as Confucius.

He urged Christians to protest at the "absence of the birthday boy Jesus at his birthday celebration".

The issue became public when the independent Malaysiakini internet news website published Mr Lim's letter last week.

Since 2001, the government has been organising huge, open-air parties to celebrate the key dates of all religions, to promote racial unity and enliven the tourist calendar. Unlimited food and family entertainment are key features of the parties, led by Malaysia's King Syed Sirajuddin, with Prime Minister Abdullah Badawi and ministers attending.

While Islam is the official religion, the constitution guarantees freedom of worship.

The king is the constitutional head of Islam, and palace officials fear Muslim sensitivities might be offended if Jesus is overtly named and praised at the Christmas party.

"Moderate Muslims fear that opposition-minded Islamic clerics would exploit the situation and raise fundamentalist ire," a senior government official said. "We were worried for the king's status."

A compromise was reached, where carols can be sung and Jesus praised - but only before the king arrives to launch the party.

"I am happy carols can be sung at Jesus' party," Mr Lim said.

AsiaNews
November 30, 2004

Southern Muslims denounce incitement by foreign-trained imams.

Bangkok (AsiaNews) – Catholics, Muslims and Buddhists are working together to end the violence that broke out in southern Thailand after the death on October 28 of 81 Muslims in Tak Bai. Local Muslim leaders have also denounced foreign-trained preachers who have come back to the region to incite people to violence.

In recent days, a meeting of several religious leaders was held in Bangkok to find ways to end the violence that is tearing apart predominantly Muslim southern Thailand: among those attending were Fr. Chusak Sirisuth, director of the Research Institute on Religion and Culture of Nakhon Pathos, Witaya Wisatrat, a member of the Muslim Council in Thailand and Pornthip Phonwanfai of the Buddhist network for Buddhism and Thai Society.

Mr Witaya, a Muslim member of the Thai senate, visited the south to investigate what happened at Tak Bai Police Station. He said that “some people are not satisfied with the official version of events. In my opinion, only truth will help solve the problem and to hide it is to cause more violence”.

The Thai government promised to set up a commission of inquiry to find out what happened at Tak Bai, but for Senator Witaya it is necessary to have “a truly free press” and “fight for ethics in the communications field”.

According to the Muslim leader, religious leaders can play an important role in pacifying the region. “Religious leaders should make clear to their believers how to practice the teachings of their faith.”

Father Chusak shared with the other participants the information priests and women religious provided him. A priest in Betong said that things were a little better, but the situation was still not very good. There has been some unrest and people are staying away from one another unwilling to help each other.”

Some nuns in Chorensri spoke of their fears, because “many innocent people have been killed”. Instead, “we need to counter violence with love, understanding and forgiveness,” they said. Still, one sister in a Catholic school added “that threatening leaflets have been passed around and 20 of our pupils have dropped out of school afraid to come”.

Despite the recent inter-religious violence, religious leaders are still hopeful that coexistence and mutual support are possible. For a Muslim leader, “it is impossible to think that Buddhists and Muslims cannot get along. We have lived peacefully together for a long time”.

Among many southern Muslims, there is growing concern that foreign-trained imams are exploiting the tense situation to incite young Muslims to engage in violence against the government.

Razalee Kayamat, the village chief of Kayahmati, said that foreign-trained, extremist preachers returning from Indonesia, Pakistan and Libya are going around spreading lies among the youths”. (WK)