Volume : 4

Issue : 53
E Mail : nandmana@sltnet.lk
www.hrokandy.blogspot.com

Thirty-two priests and Religious joined

the Human Rights workshop in Lewella
Retreat House in Kandy Sri Lanka from
the 08th to the 11th July 2013, to reflect
on the present day realities, human
rights violations in particular from a
Christian perspective. The participants
were from different dioceses and
religious congregations in the country.
Bishop Vianney Fernando, the Bishop of
Kandy also graced the occasion and
shared with the group his own concerns in the matter of the Rule of Law in the country. He also took
the opportunity to stress on the need to have more and more persons committed to upholding the
Rule of Law and the dignity of all persons
without any distinction. The participants
expressed their appreciated of the stand taken
by the Bishops on the matter of the 13th
Amendment to the Constitution.

Exposures

Three exposures were organized to coincide

with the program. The first group visited the persons that were displaced due to a landslide in
Nicoloya estate in Rattota, Matale District. The issues relating to land, housing, employment of these
displaced persons, which have largely been neglected by the
authorities were highlighted by the participants. While this
was being discussed, the participants took the opportunity
to highlight the problem of land grabbing in various parts of
the north and the east of the country. The places referred to
included Mullikkulam, where the people despite many a
promise by the authorities both secular and religious,
continue to live like vagabonds denied of their own land,
proper housing or their traditional sources of income.
The second group visited the tea plantation workers
in Mooloya Estate in Hewaheta. The comments
made by the participants, revealed the depth of
denial of rights to tea plantation workers despite
their major contribution to the economy of the
country. Though promises have been made by the
successive governments to address land, housing,
education and health rights, they all remained
elusive. It was suggested that the Church commits
itself for advocacy work given the fact that tea
plantations workers are found in five dioceses in the
country. It was also mentioned that the numerous trade unions found in the plantations in addition to
rendering lip service to the workers, often obstruct any advocacy work done by outsiders including the
churches.

In Wattegama Church, the third group met a

group of the relatives and parents of the
disappeared. They all had horrific stories to
narrate. Brief narration of the dreadful knock on
the doors, forceful entry, grabbing of the victims
followed by abductions while the helpless family
members left behind for unending tears and an
elusive hope, appeared to have evoked similar
sentiments among our own participants from the
north and the east. What however surprised
everyone was the vigor with which the lives of these relatives are characterized. They all articulated
nicely the courage with which they are facing life now following the sessions of healing and
counseling. Besides, the small self-help projects initiated with the intervention of Fr. Nandana and his
team has further buttressed that sense of confidence and the need to go on living for themselves and
their family members. They were then explained the situation prevailing in
the north and east which inhibits any form of sharing, healing or even
conducting memorial services to the dead. A need to work together to
alleviate each other’s suffering and struggling together for justice appeared
to be a feeling common to all.

During the sharing of the experience, Mr. Suren D. Perera an Attorney-at-

Law of the Human Rights Office in Kandy was invited to update the
participants of the status of the mass grave in Matale. Thanks to the
commitment of some dedicated persons, he said investigations are progressing painfully slow with no
guarantees of any breakthrough.

Scriptural sharing was on the ‘Ten commandments’ done

by Dr. Shirley Wijeshinghe, creating a greater appreciation
of God’s intervention in the history of humankind.

The last sessions were devoted to discussions on what we

all could do both as individuals and a group. The workshop
ended with the resolution for a meaningful prayer to be
adopted both to seek divine intervention to safeguard the
dignity of all persons and to enlighten the people of the pressing justice issues. Dr. Shirley Fernando,
Dr. Philip Setunga & Fr. Nandana Manatunga facilitated the workshop while Fr. Reid Shelton
Fernando, Fr. Jeyabalan Croos, Fr. Ananda Fernando, Fr. Nihal Abeysinghe & Sr. Vijaya Joseph made
presentations on issues that were discussed during the plenary.

The workshop came to an end with the dates for the next meeting being fixed for 03rd to 06th February
2014 in Madhu.