The term “surgical military action” suggestive of Hitlers’s “Final Solution” to the Jewish question, in Sri Lankan terms and in the current context has  seriously sinister connotations. Military action taking place in Sri Lanka is not against the LTTE but directed against the innocent Tamil civilians through aerial strikes, shellings, disappearances displacements starvation and abductions.  It is for these that the Mahanayake of the Asgiriya Chapter Most Ven. Udugama Sri Buddharakkitha Ratnapala stated: “…. it is the bounden duty of the clergy and religious leaders to extend the hand of support and not interfere with the administration, and bring undue pressure and distract him (President Rajapakse) from the course he is following " (Ceylon Daily News May 09 2007); appended.

Even among the Tamils, one would find  in abundance  the “Children of God and members of Dr Rowan Williams’ flock. SJV Chelvanayagam the former undisputed leader of the Tamils who until death in 1975 advocated the struggle for a separate Tamil state was a devout Christian and an Anglican at that.
 
Perhaps, the Dean while being in Sri Lanka wished not to live dangerously  lest he earn  the wrath of the Sinhala Buddhist chauvinists and be called all kind of names. Instead, discretion being the better part of valour, he preferred to religiously listen to the gospel according to the Asgiriya and the Malwatte Mahanayake Theros. What was more dangerous was that what he said was stated with very little learning on the Tamil national question. What he missed to realise was that the Tamil struggle for national liberation could not be painted with the same brush as used for the al quieda and the Taliban, and win acclaim.

The gospel according to the Mahanayake Thero further said: “It is just a handful - a group of people who respect nothing and show no regard to human life and human rules who had taken up arms and try to create mayhem. They are guerilla groups and they have created rifts and ethnic strife we experience today. The peace-loving ordinary and simple people of the Tamil community have been caught up in this strife.” What the scholar in the Dean failed to ascertain was as to “how and why the genesis of the guerilla group came to take place in the  first place,  in the serene climate where ‘the people would like to live in peace and harmony as one family-brothers and sisters….”  And what the Mahanayake Thero, probably in a temporary bout of amnesia, did not say was the manner in which the brothers and sisters were treated over the years including the periodically state engineered race riots against them from 1956 to 1983 and how they are  being continued to be treated. Hardly “an example for others to follow”!

The Dean’s statement to the President, to say the least, smacks of arrogance and cynicism, if not cowardice. He stands dwarfed in sharp contrast to the towering  images of some of his illustrious predecessors especially  the charismatic the late Most Rev. and Hon. Dr Hewlett Johnson often referred to as the Red Dean who even in the midst of the cold war, in support of Marxist Leninist politics,  had the mettle to speak up to say, for example,: “Socialism in my view  is not only the scientific but the logical consequence in our age of Christian morality.” and again  to say "[capitalism] lacks a moral basis" and that "it is the moral impulse [of communism] ... which constitutes the greatest attraction and presents the widest appeal." Consequently  he was not a very popular Dean among the powers that be but respected and admired for his courage.

Christianity, in a manner of thinking is a religion of the people- founded as a folk religion, and the most materialistic of all in the meaning of the synthesis of philosophical dialectics and materialism.  In this context, it is little surprise that Christian (Catholic) priests in Nicaragua should have  take up arms in support of the Sandinistas  to fight in the national liberation struggle  for the oppressed Nicaraguan people.

If the Archbishop of Canterbury can advocate military action against the Tamil people what should prevent the Tamil people in return employing militancy in winning their freedom and just rights in their struggle for national liberation.
 
From the Ceylon Daily News of May 09 2007:
President steering country in right direction
MAHANAYAKE TELLS ARCHBISHOP OF CANTERBURY:

Bandara Pilawala

KANDY: President Mahinda Rajapaksa is now steering the country's administration on the right track, hence it was the bounden duty of the clergy and religious leaders to extend the hand of support and not interfere with the administration, and bring undue pressure and distract him from the course he is following bringing the country back to normalcy, said Mahanayake of the Asgiriya Chapter Most Ven. Udugama Sri Buddharakkitha Ratanapala Thera.
He was receiving the Archbishop of Canterbury Most Rev. and Hon. Doctor Rowan Williams at the Asgiri Temple Simamalakaya, Kandy yesterday.
 
The Asgiriya Prelate said the duty of the religions whether in Sri Lanka or outside world was not to get involved in the internal matters of administration but help the leaders to carry on with their administrative work.
 
"Our role is to advise, and guide them to follow the correct path. That is the "noble duty" which the country expect of us". The Mahanayake Thera said.
 
There is no division among the people in this country. They do not divide people on the basis of caste, creed or their nationality. The people would like to live in peace and harmony as one family-brothers and sisters, he said.
It is just a handful - a group of people who respect nothing and show no regard to human life and human rules who had taken up arms and try to create mayhem, the Mahanayake said.
 
They are guerilla groups and they have created rifts and ethnic strife we experience today. The peace-loving ordinary and simple people of the Tamil community have been caught up in this strife. But what is heartening to note is despite all these there is brotherhood, and friendship among people of all communities that comprise this beautiful island, the Prelate told the visiting religious dignitary.
 
The Mahanayake Thera expressed fear that if the conflict situation continues the country would have to face more hardships. The rulers, laity and religious leaders of all religions wish to see that all people live in peace and harmony. That is our wish. Your visit to Sri Lanka at this juncture is most welcome," the Mahanayake Thera said.
Malwatte Chapter Mahanayake Most Ven. Thibbotuwawe Sri Siddhartha Sumangala Thera said Sri Lanka and Britain maintain cordial relationship for many long years. Over centuries has been immensely supported by your country and we appreciate that.
 
Most Rev. Hon. DOC. Rowan Williams, the Archbishop of Canterbury said he came to Sri Lanka with a view to meet all religious leaders. "Sri Lanka is held in high esteem and we come here to express our love and warmth to the people living in harmony though belong to different ethnic and religious groups. You have set an example for others to follow.
 
It is however regrettable this beautiful country is saddled with an etnic strife. It is something very surprising to us.' We are very keen to see that all of you belonging to different groups and religions live in harmony as you did in the past," the Archbishop said.
 
From the depth of our hearts we bless you, bless the people of the country so that they can live once more as brothers and sisters," Bishop of Kurunegala Kumar Illangasingha, British High Commissioner Dominic Chilcott and Colombo Bishop Dulip Chikera were present.