The Government’s failure to firmly counter persistent trends of religious intolerance is irresponsible - Friday Forum

extensive damage to houses and shops

Strong and concerted action the urgent need

The Friday Forum is appalled at the violence in Aluthgama, Beruwala and other areas over the period June 14-16. Three deaths, an estimated 80 injured and extensive damage to houses and shops have been reported in the international and private media creating fear and tension in the country. We condemn these violent acts and call for the law to take its course with the perpetrators. We welcome the declaration of a curfew in the affected areas and the calls for restraint from all parties.

UN investigators should come to Sri Lanka: Justice Minister tells US Ambassador

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Muslims will lose trust in Govt if BBS not punished

Leader of the Sri Lanka Muslim Congress (SLMC) and Minister of Justice, Rauff Hakeem, told US Ambassador Michele. J. Sison, Muslims in the country would lose hope and trust in the government if it fails to take immediate action, without any hesitation, to legally punish Galaboda Aththe Gnanasara Thera and the other culprits who were involved in recent attacks. US Ambassador Sison met Minister Hakeem at his residence yesterday to discuss the current situation and his stand on the Aluthgama incident. The highlight of the discussion was Sunday's attack on Muslims. The reasons for the flare up were also examined.

Alutgama mayhem: Minister DEW questions failure to take pre-emptive action

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IGP received letter from Azath Salley warning of violence; Two drunken monks among 47 arrested

The government's failure to adopt pre-emptive security measures at Alutgama and Beruwala should be thoroughly investigated, General Secretary of the Communist Party of Sri Lanka and Senior Minister Dew Gunasekera said yesterday. Expressing shock and anger over the government's inaction, the senior minister stressed the need to establish the circumstances leading to Sunday's mayhem. Violence claimed the lives of two Muslims and caused injuries to over 80 persons, vast majority of them residents of Alutgama and Beruwela. The police said that the deceased had many cut injuries, though there were no gunshot wounds.

SLMC endorses Pillay’s stand on religious extremism in Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka Muslim Congress leader and Justice Minister Rauff Hakeem yesterday demanded that the government take punitive action against those who had been inciting violence against the Muslim community.
An irate Hakeem accused certain members of Buddhist extremist groups of causing chaos in the country. The Minister was participating in the debate on a motion submitted by nine government MPs against a UNHRC investigation into alleged human rights violations in Sri Lanka.

EU condemns attack on Muslim community

The European Union Delegation issues the following statement in agreement with the EU Heads of Mission in Sri Lanka: The EU Delegation is very alarmed by the recent violence perpetrated against the Muslim community. We condemn the outbreak of communal violence which resulted in the loss of lives and extensive damage to property in the Kalutara District.

CPA condemns religious intolerance & violence

The Centre for Policy Alternatives (CPA)  has condemned the violence unleashed in Aluthgama, Beruwela and Dharga Town over the past few days. In a statement, the CPA says, "The recent events are the latest and most serious manifestation of the politics of hurt, hate and harm that constitute the gravest challenge to pluralism, the rule of law and democratic governance in our country and epitomise the depth of the crisis of the Sri Lankan State."

Canada's opposition condemns violence against Muslims

The official opposition party of Canada has issued a statement, condemning the recent violence in Sri Lanka.

The complete statement is as follows : NDP condemns attacks on Muslims in Sri Lanka

The NDP strongly condemns recent violence against the Muslim community in Sri Lanka, which has killed several people and injured dozens more.

A massive protest campaign at Kathankudy against Aluthgama attack

A massive demo

A massive protest campaign staged peaceful manner at Kathankudy this afternoon. Mosques at Kathankuddy, Muslim organisations jointly with Kathankudy Jaymathulla Ulama stage protest against BBS attacks against muslims in Aluthgama, Beruwala , Dharga town and Kalutara areas on 15.6.2014. Protesters demands defence secretary to ban Bodu Bala Sena movement, called upon Mahinda Chintayana to safeguard minorities, legal action should be taken against extremists, stop religious violence.

Thugs attack students’ ‘Sathyagraha’

Student hut set o Fire ( lankaviews)

The ‘Sathyagraha’ campaign carried out by students of Rajarata University demanding authorities to remove the unjustifiable suspension of classes of 27 students has been attacked by thugs.
Today (18th), on the 191st day of the ‘Sathyagraha’, thugs who had arrived early morning in a motorcycle have set fire to the temporary hut students were using for the ‘Sathyagraha’. One student has been injured in the incident.

Death threats to Dr. Nirmal Ranjith Devasiri

Former President of Federation of University Teachers’ Associations (FUTA) Dr. Nirmal Ranjith Devasiri has made a complaint to Maharagama Police regarding death threats he has received continuously since the 16th.  Dr. Devasiri’s wife too has been threatened and a telephone call received yesterday (17th) morning has threatened that his daughter would be subjected to an acid attack.

DMK condemns violence against Sri Lankan Muslims

CHENNAI: DMK President M Karunanidhi condemned the anti-Muslim riots in Sri Lanka on Wednesday, and urged India to come forward to voice its concern for members of the minority community in the island nation.

Sri Lanka: Act now to prevent further bloodshed in anti-Muslim violence - AI

This is the worst outbreak of communal violence in Sri Lanka in years and there is a real risk of it spreading further. The government must do everything in its power to end it immediately, while respecting the human rights of all concerned. Those responsible for killings and other acts of vviolence in the country, and to rein in groups that violently target religious minorities, Amnesty International said.

Palitha Thevaraperuma M.P and his Van attacked- an infant critical; police were guarding the BBS attackers

IDPs attacked

The Bodu Bala Sena (BBS) terrorists have attacked a UNP M.P. (Kalutara district) Palitha Thevaraperuma , yesterday (16) night and his vehicle smashed into smithereens because Palitha behaved like a human unlike the BBS demons. The BBS had caused this attack because the UNP M.P. went to save a group of women who were nearly dying at the hands of the terrorists while the curfew was in force.
 One of the children who came under the BBS attack is in a critical condition .

Aluthgama and the consequences of impunity - FUTA

A Muslim IDP in Aluthgama

The Federation of University Teachers' Associations (FUTA) vehemently condemns the violent incidents and complete breakdown of law and order that transpired in Aluthgama on the 14th and 15th of this month. While condemning all forms of religious and ethnic intolerance, discrimination and violence, FUTA sees the Aluthgama incident as an individual expression of a larger systemic problem. We are perplexed as to how, in a country where the police swiftly seek judicial orders to prevent university students from holding protest marches, the same police is unable to anticipate the consequences of an extremist quasi-religious organization holding a large public rally in an area already simmering with religious tension.

Tamil groups condemn attacks against Muslims, call for justice

Tamil organisations across the world condemned the attacks against Muslims over recent days by Sinhala Buddhist mobs in Aluthgama.

Drawing on Tamil experiences of pogroms at the hands of the Sinhala Buddhist state, organisations including TNA, TNPF, GTF, BTF, USTPAC and TIC expressed solidarity with Muslims and called on the international community to ensure accountability and justice.

Recalling the Sri Lankan state's violence against Tamils over decades, the leader of the Tamil National Alliance (TNA), R Sampanthan, in an address to parliament on Tuesday, warned "now racist forces are only beginning a pogrom of violence against the Muslim community".

Sri Lanka Muslims 'fear Buddhist extremists' - BBC

Three Muslims are reported to have been killed in clashes with hard-line Buddhists in southern Sri Lanka.

For the past two years, Sinhalese Buddhist groups have been staging anti-Muslim demonstrations, but these fatalities are the worst outbreak of sectarian violence in recent years.

Charles Haviland reports from Aluthgama in western Sri Lanka

See video here BBC

Muslim nations ( Organization of Islamic Cooperation) want anti Muslim violence to end

The Secretary General of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), Iyad Ameen Madani has expressed serious concern at the recent incidents of violence by extremist individuals against Muslims in the south in Sri Lanka. He said the reports of several fatalities and dozens injured as well as attacks on homes, businesses and mosques are deeply regrettable. Madani noted that the Muslim community in Sri Lanka has a long standing presence in the country and a tradition of living in peace and harmony with their compatriots.

BBS General Secretary Ven.Galagodaaththe Gnanasara Thero is a Buddhist zionist hell bent on shedding muslim blood.

Latheef Farook

The unwanted and unnecessary attack was mayhem of an unprecedented scale in and around Aluthgama which later spread to Dharga town and Beruwala following the highly inflammatory speech by Sinhala racist outfit Bodu Bala Sena’s General Secretary Ven .Galagoda Aththe Gnanasara Thero, the Buddhist Zionist who is hell bent on shedding Muslim blood. These unfortunate killings, injury, indiscriminate burning of residential and commercial properties, looting of personal belongings and arson on the Muslim population were not something unexpected when Gnanasara Thero, was allowed to address a gathering of his extremist supporters.

United Nations Investigation is against both the Crimes of the LTTE and the Crimes of the Regime”- TNA

Moon backs UNHRC investigation

Rajavarothayam Sampanthan M.P.

I wish to make a statement to place on record the position of the Tamil National Alliance regarding the Motion that has been put forward for debate and related matters of public importance. It is indeed ironic that the government now at this late stage seeks the imprimatur of Parliament for its own dire failings. This government, which has so brazenly turned Parliament into an object of ridicule – by enticing unscrupulous members of the opposition to cross over for personal gain and by providing executive posts to almost half the members of the house – now turns to Parliament on a question of fundamental importance to the country.

Sri Lanka communal riots: Atmosphere created to provoke people - Leader of the opposition

Burned ( Sandehsaya photo)

Opposition leader Ranil Wickremesinghe says chauvinism had been provoked through the speeches made at the public meeting organized by Bodu Bala Sena in Aluthgama on June 15. Making a statement in parliament today, he questioned the government as to why it did not intervene to prevent the meeting from taking place. The government hastens to obtain court orders to stop meetings by university students to protect free education, by claiming such meetings would inconvenience the public, he noted.

Sri Lanka:Law and order: gone to the dogs

Ceylon Today

The Police Spokesman, SSP Ajith Rohana, was quoted by Ceylon Today on Monday as saying the police officers are afraid to man check points during the night due to the fear of armed robbers and criminals. His confession sheds light on the increasing lawlessness and the collapse of law and order in the country. The police incompetence was vindicated in no uncertain terms in Aluthgama on Sunday, where police had been ham-fisted in controlling the riots in the coastal town.

UNSG ban ki-Moon urges SL Govt. to ensure safety of all Sri Lankans .

UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon, while expressing his concern on the communal violence that erupted in Southern Sri Lanka, has urged the Sri Lankan Government to take necessary measures to ensure the safety of all Sri Lankans.

Why violent attacks continue against Muslims in Sri Lanka?

Col R Hariharan
“Bodu Bala Sena General Secretary Galagodaaththe Gnanasara Thero addressing the rally in Aluthgama yesterday, referred to Muslims in derogatory terms and accused sections of the Government of being in collaboration with the Muslim Community. “They keep calling us racist and religious extremists. Yes, we are racists,” he charged as the crowd cheered him on. “This country still has a Sinhala police a Sinhala army. If a single Sinhalese is touched, that will be the end of all them,” he screamed.” – From Dharisha Bastiyan’s report in the Sri Lankan online portal Daily FT on June 16, 2014

Gota should accept responsibility for Aluthgama incidents – JVP PC member

The Defense Secretary is directly responsible for the communal violence that erupted in Aluthgama and several other areas in Kalutara District says the JVP Member for Western Provincial Council Dr. Nalinda Jayatissa. He said this at the monthly sessions of the PC held today (17th).

The CTC Strongly Condemns Attacks on Muslims in Sri Lanka

The Canadian Tamil Congress (CTC) condemns in the strongest manner possible attacks on Muslim community in Sri Lanka. Several people have been killed and more than 78 people injured after the most recent horrendous attack near Aluthgama and Beruwala in Sri Lanka on15 June 2014.