Sri Lanka

In the early 1980s the tensions between the majority Buddhist Sinhalese and the predominantly Hindu Tamils erupted in violent conflict. The cease-fire in this two-decade-long civil war, signed between the government and the rebels in late 2002, has raised hopes for a lasting peace. Church leaders in Sri Lanka have expressed cautious optimism following the formation of a new government by the island nation, determined by the results of national elections in April 2004. Mahinda Rajapakse, a Buddhist lawyer, was sworn in as prime minister. Anglican Bishop of Colombo Duleep de Chickera said, “We now have a new government and opposition whose collective mandate is to build on signs of hope.”

The PC(USA) is working in Sri Lanka through its Presbyterian Disaster Assistance program and in cooperation with its church partners.

The 2008 Mission Yearbook for Prayer & Study, p. 90

March 29

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