MISSION PARTNER NEWSLETTER FROM
SRI LANKA: SEPTEMBER 2008
The scent of military victory against the LTTE (Tamil Tigers) is seducing many at all levels in society. Even people who have previously been vocal in calling for negotiations are now saying that the government should “finish the job”. The Sri Lankan Army is closing in on the LTTE’s headquarter town of Kilinochchi in the north. The government has a firm grip on the media, and its own casualty figures are unknown. It has instructed the UN and all international non-governmental organisations (INGOs) to vacate the area. Only the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) remains because it is they who manage the handover of corpses. The local population, hungry and uncertain as to what to do, have tried to block the roads to stop the INGOs from leaving. Recent reports say there are 160,000 displaced people somehow surviving in the war zone. In Colombo the opposition in Parliament is divided and its leadership, after recent defeats in provincial elections, is considered ineffectual. The war is popular in the south amongst the government’s supporters who seem to be prepared to tolerate inflation for a while at least if this is the cost of winning the war. The general consensus is that the government, loathed as it is by many for its corrupt populism, seems to have everything sufficiently under control for a final push to victory. But have they a realistic strategy to win the hearts and minds of the Tamils in the north and east? Will they be magnanimous in victory? Or is Sinhala Buddhist nationalism so deeply entrenched in Sri Lankan politics that another agenda will prevail? Or are we speaking too soon? Will the Tigers somehow provoke the southern Sinhalese into some awful communal violence against Tamils living amongst them so as to win the sympathy of the so-called international community? Would the government listen to the international community anyway? Do too many influential people here and abroad have a material interest in a continuing war? Military procurement is a well-known gravy train, while some Tamils raising money for the LTTE abroad might lose their refugee status and have to go back to Sri Lanka, something they might rather not do.
On a beach after a Conference session in Batticoloa.
Meanwhile some TCL students are worrying about their displaced families. During the Methodist Conference – see below – two displaced ministers, described the shelling and bombing, and how they have removed their church roofs to minimise damage. They spoke movingly about how children are being traumatised, and all are living in fear.
This year the annual Methodist Conference took place in Batticoloa in the east of the country (20–25 Aug) where until last year there had been fighting. It was our fourth conference but our first outside Colombo and the first in an air-conditioned church hall. The town erected large banners on roundabouts to welcome representatives from around the island. Not many national bodies would be interested in an annual conference in Batticoloa!
The picturesque temple at Wattegama north of Kandy visited on the July Poya Day with Rev’d Clare McClaren, Lyndon Shepherd, Katie & Anna from Sri Lanka’s English link diocese, Ripon & Leeds, who were visiting SL and whose company we much enjoyed.
Despite Government claims that the East has been cleared of the LTTE, there is a huge military presence at frequent checkpoints, on street corners and in camps in rural areas. As foreigners, we are not hassled very much, but it nevertheless feels very oppressive. The locals appear patient and stoical but cannot possibly like it. During the public event on Friday afternoon, the recently elected leader of the Eastern Province, Mr. Pillayan, joined the audience. This meant that the church compound suddenly became the home of a dozen gun-toting soldiers who spent their time casting their beady eyes over the crowd. One swaggered up and down the central aisle for the rest of the afternoon. So, a gentle dance for peace by young girls carefully carrying candles and wearing beautiful white sarees seemed like a perfect counterpoint.
It was good to meet existing friends at Conference. We also met the British Representative, Peter Pillinger, and the new British Methodist lay Mission Partner, David Furnival, who is stationed in the east in Muttur where our friend Rev’d Sujithar is the minister; (Rosemary is godmother to his daughter, now aged 18 months). We look forward to seeing more of David.
There have been three new arrivals from abroad at TCL. Fr. Lana is a retired Spanish Anglican who is to provide consultancy to the college as it tries to start up a Masters course. He specialises in Systematic Theology. Rev’d Noriko Okado is a retired Women’s Studies tutor from a Japanese University who has been coming to Sri Lanka for the last 32 years. She speaks good Sinhala. Clive Mills will be at TCL for 6 months as a volunteer on the Experience Exchange Programme (run by the Methodist Church and the USPG: Anglicans in World Mission). He will teach Greek courses and work in TCL’s Church History Documentation Centre. Talking of foreigners in Sri Lanka, we were delighted to have a visit from Rev’d Becky Hollis, a Church Mission Society (CMS) mission partner in Colombo who recently got married to Shemil, a charming Indian who has been studying in England and working for CMS. It was lovely to see such a happy couple. TCL itself is now under different leadership as Father Jebi is on a year’s Sabbatical and Father Keerthi is Acting Principal
Another new face at TCL is that of a Catholic nun, Sister Jothie. She has a chaplain-like role and is available one day a week for everyone in the community to talk to. Being a Catholic means that she is sufficiently distant from the much smaller world of the Protestant churches, to provide a completely impartial ear. She is also tri-lingual.
Since our last newsletter, our shipping (four tea chests) arrived. It cost only £77 to make and ship the tea chests from London to Kandy! Dealing with customs in Kandy went well, eased by the presence of ten brown baby dolls which officials found very amusing. We have distributed gifts from England to the TCL library, the nursery and Sunday School. We also gave tools to some college workers and the men who look after the college vehicles.
Those in Caversham might like to know that, with Rosemary’s encouragement, two students will be going to Zambia (including Mindolo) on a 7-week programme called “Face to Face” run by the Council for World Mission (United Reformed Church Overseas Division). Yeherome, a married male Methodist, and Rukshi, a young single female Anglican, will see much more of Zambia than we have ever seen. We had fun preparing them for the visit and don’t doubt they will return with a positive view of Africa which will much enhance their ministry here.
Breaking coconuts under the feet of elephants on the last day of the Kandy Perahera.
This first term has been fairly relentless for Rosemary as her teaching load was twice that of the previous term. She did not resume music theory classes but will do so next term. Next term Rosemary’s courses are Spirituality and Reformation History to BTh students and Gospel Studies to the Spouses. She has also continued to help the choir with western hymns and continues in her roles as Faculty Secretary and patron (with James) of the Basil Jackson Theological Society (BJTS). This term BJTS seminars included human rights in Sri Lanka given by a leading human rights lawyer, and a day long workshop on care of the elderly. Film nights also continued. The sports tournament for the current academic year took place in the first term instead of the third term. Rosemary took part in various sports but unfortunately she damaged ligaments in her ankle on the final day’s events which has yet to repair itself. Term one ended Sept. 14th and term two begins on Sept. 19th. At the time of writing, we are enjoying a peaceful break away, for 3 days on Lake Giritale.
An abandoned RC church seen on the Maha Oya road on our return from Batticoloa. Until recently, the road had been closed for many years because of the security situation.
We attended the famous Kandy Perahera (an elephant procession) where we met the Bishop of Kurunegala who had recently returned from the Lambeth Conference – very interesting. Rosemary also saw part of the daytime Perahera the next day. Together with our friend Paul Watson, James had an exciting walk in the hills above Kandy. Determined not to go back the way they came, they found themselves having to push through 8’ high grass without really knowing where they were going – other than downhill. Eventually they stumbled across a house at the end of a long mountain road, so all was well.
Newsletter back copies are on our website together with a large number of pictures of our life in Sri Lanka: see www.rosemaryandjames.methodistchurch.co.uk. For more about TCL see: www.tclsl.org. Our postal address is: Theological College of Lanka, Nandana Uyana, Pilimatalawa 20450, Sri Lanka.
This newsletter contains much for your prayers and reflection, but we especially ask for prayers:
Þ For the civilians trapped in the war zone in the north, that they might be fed and led to safety. For those killed or injured, soldier and civilian.
Þ For wisdom and a spirit of generosity in government.
Þ For the brave journalists who tell the news, especially Tissanayagam, who has been detained for 175 days without charge (as at 15/9/08).
Þ For our college workers and students as they struggle to make ends meet.
Þ For Yeherome and Rukshi who are going to Zambia.
Þ For our good friends, Paul and Ina, Abigail and Hannah who are leaving Kandy in December as Paul is to be Rector at St. Devenick’s Episcopal Church in Aberdeen. Pray for them in this time of transition.
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