SRI LANKA Bishop Joins Hunger Strikers After Appeals To President, Rebels
[UCAN]
The Catholic bishop of war-torn Jaffna diocese on the northern tip of Sri Lanka has joined 300 Christian and Hindu hunger strikers urging action to protect civilians caught in the ethnic conflict. Bishop Thomas Savundaranayagam also appealed separately to the country’s president and to Tamil rebels for the safety of people trapped in the combat zone. A statement the diocese’s justice and peace commission released on Jan. 29 said more than 400 civilians had been killed and more than 1,400 injured there during the preceding 10 days.