A collective of Catholic priests and religious serving in the North and East has issued a statement expressing solidarity with Rev. Fr. Jeewantha Peiris and reaffirming the political aspirations of the Eelam Tamil people.
Dated May 25, 2026, the statement responded to criticism against Fr. Jeewantha Peiris over his remarks on Sri Lanka’s ethnic conflict, while highlighting issues of truth, justice, accountability, and the Tamil people’s political aspirations.
The group criticized remarks by the spokesperson of the Archdiocese of Colombo, who rejected Fr. Jeewantha Peiris’ characterization of the conflict and maintained it was a war against terrorism rather than against the Tamil people.
It stated that the Tamil political struggle arose from a long history of discrimination, marginalization, and oppression, and stressed that acknowledging these root causes is essential for truth, justice, and lasting peace.
Referring to the North-East Bishops’ Council declaration of May 16, 2022, the statement reiterated the call to mark May 18 as a “Day of Tamil Genocide,” emphasizing that truth is central to reconciliation and healing.
The group also recalled the disappearance of Rev. Fr. Francis Joseph in 2009, noting his final letter to Pope Benedict the 16th highlighting civilian suffering and urging the Church to speak out on justice and truth.
It further stated that a petition signed by 460 priests and religious, calling for May 18 to be observed as a nationwide day of mourning, prayer, and repentance, has been submitted to the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Sri Lanka but has not yet received a response.
Concluding, the statement said the events of 2009 culminating in Mullivaikkal represent the peak of a systematic historical process of genocide against the Eelam Tamil people, and called for continued efforts toward truth, justice, accountability, and a political solution reflecting Tamil aspirations.
