Tamil Lawyers’ Forum Writes to Vatican Nuncio in Sri Lanka

09-Jun-2026

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The Tamil Lawyers Forum has stated that the Catholic Church, as a spiritual institution committed to truth, justice, and reconciliation, has a responsibility to listen to all communities—particularly those affected by conflict and displacement.

In a letter addressed to the Apostolic Nuncio to Sri Lanka, Archbishop Andrew Wojciechowski, the Forum expressed concern that reconciliation cannot be achieved by selectively interpreting history or ignoring the lived suffering of victims.

The letter also expressed concern over comments made by clergy associated with the Colombo Archdiocese, which reportedly described Sri Lanka’s civil conflict as a “war against terrorism”.

It argued that the conflict was rooted in decades of political exclusion, discrimination, and denial of legitimate political aspirations of the Tamil community, and referenced key historical events such as the Sinhala Only Act, anti-Tamil violence, the burning of the Jaffna Public Library, the 1983 riots, discriminatory education policies, and state-sponsored settlement programmes.

The Forum further stated that the final stages of the war in 2009 resulted in severe civilian suffering, mass deaths, alleged enforced disappearances, and unresolved accountability issues. It called for acknowledgment of all sides’ suffering and a comprehensive, inclusive historical reassessment.

It urged the Catholic Church in Sri Lanka to reconsider its stance and engage in broader consultations to ensure a balanced understanding of the conflict, based on truth, accountability, justice, and sustainable political resolution.