COLOMBO (UCAN) -- Despite the cruel polarization between north and south, victims of Sri Lanka's decades-long bitter civil war still compel sympathy.

Such compassion was evident during an ecumenical service on Sept. 24 when Christian "southerners" lighted candles, prayed and offered relief supplies for "northerners." About 400 or so priests, nuns, social activists and others came for the service here at Anglican Cathedral of Christ the Living Saviour.

Besides praying for ethnic Tamils displaced by the Sinhalese-led government's military offensive against Tamil rebels, they donated money, food, medicine and clothes for the north's war victims.

The donations are part of a campaign the Christian Solidarity Movement (CSM) has been running to help displaced Tamils. During the recent ecumenical service, most who placed packages of relief supplies on a big pile for distribution to the Tamil victims were Sinhalese.

CSM, a non-governmental organization, is sending the emergency supplies to help an estimated 200,000 Tamils displaced by the fighting in the north.

Father Anthony Victor Sosai, a Catholic priest, told the mainly Anglican and Methodist audience at the service about his experiences while ministering to the displaced in the northern war zone. The priest, vicar general of Mannar diocese in the north, particularly spoke of "the anguished cries of the women in war zone who are on the move with their children from place to place."

Father Sosai said many are hiding in the jungle and paddy fields, and they cried out to him for help, especially food and emergency supplies.

Father Muthiah Selvarajah, a Methodist, stressed that the relief drive to assist the victims is vital. "Essential" relief supplies must be collected, he said, and the refugees themselves must pray for relief from their suffering.

As nuns lit candles, the worshippers prayed for the displaced "northerners." Tamils in northern rebel-held areas are often called "northerners," and the Sinhalese, who occupy most of the country to the south, are "southerners."

Their polarization began in 1983 when Tamil secessionists led by Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) launched a war against the Sinhalese-led government. The Tamil rebel insurgency in the east is now largely suppressed.

Meanwhile, the Catholic Bishops' Conference in Sri Lanka (CBCSL) on Sept. 23 issued a statement explaining the problems that the displaced people face and voicing concern about the difficulty of sending supplies to those in need. Bishop Vianney Fernando of Kandy, CBCSL's president, and Oblate Bishop Norbert Andradi of Anuradhapura, CBCSL's secretary general, signed the statement. In it, they said they "earnestly urge the government and the LTTE that utmost care be taken to protect the lives of innocent civilians."

Earlier, the Catholic Holy Childhood Society in Colombo archdiocese commenced a fund-raising campaign for children to help displaced children in the war zone. Since Sept, 14, youngsters have been walking house to house collecting money with hopes of raising 100,000 rupees (about US$1,000).

On Oct. 1, according to media reports, 51 United Nations and government food trucks left Vavuniya, a town within government-held territory in Northern Province, to supply the north's displaced people.

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