UNP calls for party leaders meeting to discuss BBS violence against Muslims... Opposition and UNP leader Ranil Wickremesinghe yesterday appealed to the government to urgently summon a meeting of party leaders to discuss the recent attacks by the Bodu Bala Sena (BBS) on Muslims in Aluthgama and Beruwela with a view to preventing recurrence of violence and forging communal harmony. Addressing Buddhist, Muslim and Christian religious leaders and members of civil society which included residents of Aluthgama and Beruwela, held at a Committee Room in Parliament, Wickremesinghe said that he decided to convene yesterday’s meeting, since his appeal to Prime Minister D. M. Jayaratne no sooner clashes were reported from Aluthgama and Beruwela on June 16, which left three dead, about 75 injured and many Muslim homes ablaze, to summon an All Party Conference to discuss the crisis, had gone unheeded. Its still not too late for the party leaders to meet, he said adding that it was the best way to avoid a recurrence of last Monday’s clashes and prevent a national calamity. Anunayake of the Ramanya Nikaya Girambe Ananda Thera said that organizations such as the BBS and Sihala Ravaya only created division and conflict and were not capable of promoting racial amity. Prior to 1956 members of all communities knew only one school, but with the introduction of the Sinhala only policy by the SLFP, Sri Lankans began attending separate Sinhala, Tamil and Muslims schools. Unless the need for communal harmony was ingrained into especially the younger generation, the consequences for the country could be disastrous, he noted. Many of the other speakers who included Muslim and Christian religious leaders and members of civil society condemned the inaction of the Defence establishment for allowing the violence unleashed by the BBS to take effect, without acting to stop it immediately. The meeting concluded with a resolution being adopted calling on the Congress of Religions to discuss the dangerous situation that was developing in the post war era and make representations to the government on the need to reign in the extremist elements hell bent on creating another ethnic conflict. Among those present on the occasion were Chairman of the UNP Leadership Council Karu Jayasuriya, General Secretary Tissa Attanayake, National Organiser Daya Gamage and Parlimentarians Eran Wickremeratne, Ajith P. Perera and Anoma Gamage.
Posted on: Fri, 27 Jun 2014 07:10:22 +0000