Revered Sri Lankan statue removed

By Roland Buerk
BBC News, Colombo

The statue was a site of pilgrimage for Catholics

A statue of the Virgin Mary has been removed from Sri Lanka's most revered Catholic shrine for the first time in centuries because of intense fighting.

The shrine at Madhu is in the north-west of the country where the army is battling the Tamil Tigers.

The Bishop of Mannar, Rayappu Joseph, said he had appealed to both sides to respect the area as a no-war zone.

The shrine at Madhu is a well-known pilgrimage site for Catholics, who comprise about 6% of the population.

Respect

But now the statue of the Virgin Mary which they travel to venerate has been taken away for the first time in more than 400 years.

The Bishop of Mannar, Rayappu Joseph, said there had been intense shelling in the area and the priests had spent the day in bunkers.

Madhu shrine is now at the centre of heavy fighting

He said he had appealed to both sides to respect it as a place of peace but the Tamil Tigers had set up positions in front of the shrine.

Government forces who have tried to crush the rebels in their northern stronghold are only 2km away.

The military spokesman, Brig Udaya Nanayakkara, insisted the army was not shelling the shrine and the Tamil Tigers must be responsible for the firing.

The statue has been taken further north into areas controlled by the rebels.

The bishop said people who were sheltering at the shrine had also fled.

Referring to the statue he said "our lady had to go with them".