A closer look at the Sri Lankan experience may throw some light on other situations where struggles supposedly based on ethnicity or religion turn out to be more complex – and where human rights are of critical importance, says Savi Hensman.

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The funeral of a Sri Lankan Roman Catholic priest tragically killed by a mine blast as he was on his way to distribute supplies to displaced people, has attracted more than 5,000 mourners including Hindus and Muslims.

A war-damaged Anglican church building along Jaffna's main road in Sri Lanka is to become a centre for peace and understanding - as the church seeks to join other non-violent groups within civil society working for an end to the country's decades long conflict.

Churches will fail in their mission if violence goes unabated in strife-torn Sri Lanka, a Roman Catholic bishop in the country has warned. He also backed the World Council of Churches' work on peace-building.

War-torn Sri Lanka is to receive the first of a series of ecumenical "living letters" teams which will visit Christian communities facing situations of violence in different regions of the world.

Civilians are bearing the brunt of violence as fighting rages in Sri Lanka between the military and the Tamil Tigers (LTTE), church and civilian humanitarian agencies report. Long-term solutions are vitally needed.

Communities in Asia are slowly and patiently continuing the process of recovery from the major Indian Ocean tsunami of late 2004 – with the active support of churches and other NGO networks.

News organisations and NGOs are concerned at the increasing restrictions they face as the bloody conflict continues in Sri Lanka and the government seeks to clamp down.

World Council of Churches (WCC) general secretary Dr Sam Kobia has issued a passionate appeal to both sides in the Sri Lanka conflict to end their violence and seek a viable political way forward.