Sri Lanka (MNN) ― Heavy fighting between Sri Lanka's government and the Tamil Tiger rebels resumed this week.
The Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) launched an assault Wednesday against four key military camps in the coastal Batticaloa district. Local military officials said about 40 civilians were wounded in rebel bomb attacks that also hit a relief center.
Some 150,000 civilians have been displaced by recent fighting. The fighting comes despite a truce in place since February 2002.
It's a disconcerting turn of events, given that whenever unrest flares, persecution seems to follow. Open Doors' Carl Moeller agrees. "The church in that area has of course taken a large brunt of that violence, as well. It is making a difference for the work of Christians and the work of Christian churches there in that area."
Most notably, there's been a rash of Christians who have been disappearing. Churches have been vandalized and permits to build, denied. Moeller says the violence against Christians in Sri Lanka has had a notable 'chilling effect' on outreach. "Evangelists who are still working alongside of Open Doors are still going into those areas that are directly affected. What I think is important for people to realize is that, in the midst of trouble and persecution, often the hope that people turn to and cling to in Jesus Christ is the only hope that they can find for a desperate situation."
Sri Lanka ranks 30th on the list of the top 50 of the world's worst persecutor of Christians and evangelical work. Continue to pray for the strength of testimony for believers in Sri Lanka.
