Civil society urges Govt. to take urgent action to stop attacks on Muslims

We the undersigned organisations, individuals and members of Sri Lankan and international civil society condemn in the strongest possible terms the latest wave of horrific violence led by the extreme right-wing Sinhala Buddhist organisation, Bodu Bala Sena (BBS – The Buddhist Power Force) against the Muslim community of south-western Sri Lanka in the towns of Aluthgama, Beruwala, Welipenna and Dharga Town.

According to reliable sources in the area, in the last two days at least four Muslims and one Tamil have been killed by mobs following a BBS rally led by its General Secretary, the Buddhist Monk Galagodaaththe Gnanasara in which he referred to the Muslim community in the most inflammatory and threatening terms after days of inter-communal tension and clearly inciting hatred and violence. A further 80 people have suffered serious injuries including shooting and knife wounds. Mosques have been torched and stoned and many Muslim-owned houses and businesses attacked and destroyed.
It is noticeable that there has not been an official call from the President of Sri Lanka (apart from two Twitter messages) to bring an end to the violence or to provide clear orders to the security forces to maintain law and order. The BBS has been allowed to lead a systematic and sustained campaign of violence against Muslims in Sri Lanka attacking individuals, places of worship and business over the past three years. Recent tensions in the area were well known and have been brought to the attention of the political leaders of Sri Lanka but they have failed to act decisively.

Despite heavy presence by the Sri Lankan security forces now in the area, there has been very little meaningful protection and a night time curfew was not respected by the mobs. The riots have not been controlled and instead have spread to neighbouring villages, where innocent men, women and children are fearful for their lives. So far not many arrests have been made and the BBS General Secretary Gnanasara is allowed to roam the area freely inciting further hatred and violence. Independent journalists, community leaders and politicians have been refused entry into the area to report on events or to seek ways to address them. Vans carrying relief supplies into the area have been set alight.

Therefore, we call on the Government of Sri Lanka to take immediate and effective action and ensure that all perpetrators of this shameless violence are arrested without delay and that peace is immediately restored.

The Sri Lankan Government bears ultimate responsibility to contain violence against religious minorities. The President who is also the Minister of Law and Order, and Gotabaya Rajapaksa, the Secretary of Defence, should ensure law and order is maintained and reassure their citizens that appropriate actions are being taken by deploying adequate security forces to protect minorities from further violence.
The Government must also act to allow independent journalists and community leaders to enter the area safely to report on events and seek to address them in a peaceful manner. Further, the Government must act now to bring to an end this three-year campaign of hate speech and violence by the BBS – enough is enough

We call upon the UN Human Rights Council, Organisation of Islamic Cooperation and other International Organisations at the highest level to communicate its grave concerns to the President and Government of Sri Lanka, calling upon the authorities to act immediately to curb attacks on Muslims in Sri Lanka.

We call upon all Buddhist nations to express profound concern at the systematic and sustained violence perpetrated in the name of the Lord Buddha.

Finally, we call upon the UN Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Religion and Belief, Heiner Bielefeld, to take this issue up in the strongest possible terms with the Sri Lankan government and to request permission to undertake an urgent visit to Sri Lanka and report on these events.

We stand in solidarity with the victims and survivors of the villages of Aluthgama, Beruwala, Dharga Town, Walpitiya and Welipenna.

Signed18 June 2014
 
Individuals:
A.M. Faaiz, Attorney-at-Law, Director, Secretariat for Muslims
Ahilan Kadirgamar
Aingkaran K., Attorney-at-Law
Aino Salish Kendra, Dhaka, Bangladesh
Aisha Maniar, Human Rights Activist, UK
Aliya Firozvi
Amarnath Amarasingham
Ameena Hussein
Anberiya Haneefa, MWRAF
Anenta Ratneswaren, UK
Anissa Helie
Anita Nesiah
Anuraj Sinnaththamby, UK
Anushka Kahandagama
Arjini Nawal
Aruna Burte, India
Aruni John
Asha Abeyasekera-Van Dort
Ashika Gunasena Serasundera
Ayesha Imam, Nigeria/Senegal
B. Gowthaman, Attorney-at-law
B. Senthilkumaran
Barrister Sara Hossain, Advocate, Bangladesh Supreme Court and human Rights Activist
Barrister Jyortirmoy Barua, Advocate Supreme Court of Bangladesh
Bhavani Fonseka, Attorney-at-Law
Cassam Uteem, Club de Madrid and former President of Mauritius
Chamindry Saparamadu
Chandra Lekha Sriram, Professor of International Law and International Relations University of East London
Chantal Kambiwa, Executive Director, SERVITAS Cameroon
Chinniah Rajeshkumar
Chulani Kodikara
Dayapala Thiranagama
Deanne Uyangoda
Delores Robinson, GROOTS Trinidad and Tobago
Dennis Mc Gilvray, Professor Department of Anthropology University of Colorado
Dharmasiri Bandaranayake, TrikonE Cultural Foundation
Dinusha Panditaratne
Dr. Amrita Chhachhi, IIS, the Hague, Netherlands
Dr. Dharmasena Pathiraja
Dr. Farzana Haniffa
Dr. Hameeda Hossain
Dr. Mario Gomez
Dr. Nimmi Gowrinathan
Dr. Ratnajeevan Hoole
Dr. Samanthi J. Gunewardena, Lecturer in Gender and Development Monash University.
Dr. Shahnaz Huda, Professor and Chair, Department of Law, University of Dhaka, Bangladesh.
Dr. Sharika Thiranagama
Dr. Udan Fernando, Visiting Academic, Open University of Sri Lanka.
Dr. Varun Soni, Dean of Religious Life, University of Southern California
Dr. Veena R Poonacha, Director, Research Center for Women’s Studies, JNU New Delhi
Dr. Avabai Wadia, Archives SNDT Women’s University, Mumbai
Dyuti Ailawadi, India
E. Valentine Daniel, Professor, Columbia University
Einul Azeema Lall Director, Kaleels Maradana Nursing Home
Estella Schmid, UK
F.M. Nifraj
Faizun Zackariya, Co- founder, Chair, Director of Muslim Women’s Research and Action Forum
Fr. Emmanuel Sebamalai, Mannar Citizen’s Committee
Fr. Jeyakumar
Gananath Obeysekere
Garvin Van Dort
Gayatri Wijekoon, Academic
Ghulam Mustafa Dulal, Executive Director, Gonoshasthaya Kendra
Dhaka, Bangladesh
Godfrey Yogaraja,Executive Director, Religious Liberty Commission, World Evangelical Alliance
H.M. Maskoor
Hana Shams Ahmed, WHRD, Bangladesh
Harshini Ranasinghe
Helen Saldanha, New Delhi
Herman Kumara, National Fisheries Solidarity Movement
Jaya Velankar, Writer, Gender Trainer, New Delhi, India
Jayanta de S Wijeratne
Jayanthi Kuru-Utumpala
Jeanne Marecek, PhD., Swarthmore College, USA
Jensila Majeed, Mullaitheevu
Jinsar Hussain General Sectary/Chief Executive, Development Foundation Sindh, Pakistan
Jothie Rajah, Research Professor, American Bar Foundation.
Judith Large
Juhi Jain, Feminist Activist, Delhi
Juwairiya Mohideen
Jyotsna Siddharth, Research Scholar, Delhi School of Economics
Kalyani Menon-Sen, Feminist Activist, India
Kamayani Bali Mahabal, Feminist and Human Rights Activist
Karamat Ali, Executive Director, Pakistan Institute of Labour Education and Research, Karachi, Pakistan
Karin Fernando
Karunai Karunailingam, UK
Kaveri Indira R I, Hyderabad Central University
Khushi Kabir Human Right Activist, Bangladesh
Kirupa Hoole
Kishwar Sultana, Insan Foundation Trust
Kuhanithy Gunachandran
Kumudu Kusum Kumara
Kumuthini Samuel
Lakshan Dias, Board Member Rights Now and Chairman SANRIM
Lareef Zubair, Visiting Lecturer University of Peradeniya
Lata Singh, India
Leah Lakshmi Piepzna- Samarasinha
Liyanage Amarakeerthi, Academic
Luz Mendez, Executive Board, National Union of Guatemalan Women
M. .A Sumanthiran, Attorney at Law, Member of Parliament (TNA)
M.Y. M. Siddeek, UK
M. Baseera
M. Jeslina
M. Mangaleswary, Attorney-at-Law
M. Nufail
M. Rahman, Mannar
M. Thahir
M.K. Perinparaja, Attorney-at- Law, Kalmunai
Mahaluxumi Kurushanthan, Mannar
Mahendran Thiruvarangan
Mala Liyanage, Executive Director, Law and Society Trust.
Mangai A., Tamil Nadu
Manori Kalugampitiya
Marieme Helie Lucas
Marta Benavides Siglo XXIII – El Salvador, C.A.
Matt Withers
May Yee, Writer/Colombo
Meena Nallainathan
Mesbahuddin Ahmed
Mihiri Varnasuriya
Mini Sukumar, Assistant Professor in Women’s Studies, Center for Women’s Studies, University of Calicut, Kerala
Mohamed Adamaly
Mohamed Farook, Attorney-at-Law, Akkaraipattu
Mohamed Rayees
Muhajiseen
Mushtaq Fuad
Nagulan Nesiah
Nalini Ratnarajah
Navaranjini Nadaraja
Nilakshi de Silva
Nimalan Seevaratnam MP, UK
Nimalka Fernando, International Movement Against all forms of Discrimination and Racism
Nirmal Ranjith Devasiri
Nirmala Rajasingam
Nisreen Jafferjee
Norma Maldonado, Asociacion Raxch’ och’ Oxlaju Aj, AROAJ, Guatamala
P.N. Singham
Pakkiyanathan Vijayashanthan
Pallavi Utthan, India
Papori Bora, Assistant Professor, Centre for Women’s Studies, JNU, New Delhi
Patricia Munabi, Babiiha Forum for Women in Democracy (FOWODE)Kampala
Prashanth Kuganathan, Teacher’s College, Columbia University
Priti Darooka, Executive Director PWESCR, India
Priyanthi Fernando
Purwa Bharadwaj, Writer and Researcher, Delhi
Pushpa Achanta, Writer, Bangalore
Professor Ajay Skaria, University of Minnesota
Professor Anthony Anghie, University of Utah
Professor Carmen Wickramagamage
Professor Maithree Wickramasinghe
Professor Neloufer de Mel
Professor Qadri Ismail, University of Minnesota
Professor Shahul Hasbullah
Professor Sumathy Sivamohan
Radha Paudel, Founder, Action Works Nepal
Raghu Balachandran
Rajan Hoole
Rajany Chandrasegaram, Jaffna
Rajashri Dasgupta, Journalist, Kolkata
Ramani Muttettuwegama
Rebecca Kurian, India
Renu Alakenthiram, Trincomalee
Renu Rajbhandari, WOREC, Nepal, National Alliance of Women Human Rights    Defenders, Nepal
Rev. Kyoichi Sugino, Deputy Secretary General, Religions for Peace,
United Nations, NY
Rishana Haniffa
Robinah Rubimbwa, Kampala, Uganda
Rohini Hensman
Ruki Fernando
Rukmini Rao, South Asia Alliance for Poverty Eradication (SAAPE)
S. Nanthikesan
S.H.M. Manarudeen, Attorney-at-Law, Maruthamunai
Saadiqua Fauz
Sadia Ahmed, WELDD, Shirkat Gah Women’s Resource Centre, Pakistan
Samantha de Silva
Sarawanan Nadarasa
Savi Hensman
Seenirasa Vijayakumar, UK
Shaheen Anam, Development Activist
Shamila Daluwatte
Shamsul Huda, Executive Director, Association for Land Reform and
Development (ALRD)
Shanthi Satchithanandam, Viluthu
Sharm Aboosally
Sharon E. R. Bhagwan Rolls, Executive Director, FemLINKPACIFIC, Suva, Fiji
Shayani Jayasinghe
Sheba George, SAHR WARU Women’s Action and Resource Unit, Ahmadabad
Shobasakthi
Shraddha Chickerur, Delhi
Shreen Abdul Saroor
Shyla Visahan, UK
Sithiravel Ithayarani
Sithy Zulfika
Suba Sivakumaran
Sudarshana Gunawardana
Sudesh Mantillake, University of Peradeniya
Sukla Sen, Peace Activist, India
Sumi Krishna, Scholar and Feminist Activist, India
Syed Mohammad Ali, Post-doctoral Fellow, McGill University, UK
T. Subaitha
T.Ganesh
Tanuja Thurairajah
Tasneem Ahmar, Director, Research Centre on Women and Media, Pakistan
Thahir Kubais
Thenuwara Chandraguptha
Uma Chakravarti, India
Urvashi Butalia, Publisher and Activist, New Delhi, India
Usha Ganapragasam Akkaraipattu
V. Subramaniam
V.V. Ganeshananthan, Lanka Solidarity- USA
Vahida Nainar. India
Vairamuttu Vardakumar, TIC, London
Vanie Simon Akkaraipattu
Vantha Mahendran
Vasanth Kannabiran, Asmita Resource Centre for Women India
Vasuki Jeyasankar
Vasuki Nesiah, Assoc. Prof. of Practice, New York University
Visaka Dharmadasa, Association of War Affected Women
Vivek Sundara, India
YaliniDream
Yasmin Sooka , Executive Director Foundation for Human Rights
Yvonne Zimmerman, UK
Zafrullah Chowdurry  Gonoshasthaya Kendra, Bangladesh
Zainab Ibrahim
Zareen Rasheed
Organisations:
Arab Women’s Organization (AWO)
ARROW
Asian Forum for Human Rights and Development (FORUM-ASIA)
Bytes for All (ICTs for development, democracy and social justice), Pakistan
Campaign Against Criminalizing Communities (CAMPACC)
Canadian Organization for Peace and Equality (COPE) – Canada
Centre for Women in Governance, Uganda
Centro de Estudios de la Mujer CEM, Chile
Deltawomen Foundation, Nigeria
International Centre for Ethnic Studies, Sri Lanka
Institute Perempuan (Indonesia)
Jatiyo Sramik Jote, Dhaka, Bangladesh
KontraS, The Federation of Commission for the Disappeared and Victims of Violence, Indonesia
Lanka Development Journalists Forum
London Guantanamo Campaign, UK
Mannar Women’s Development Federation Sri Lanka
Muslim Women Development Trust, Sri Lanka
Peace in Kurdistan Campaign
People’s Watch, India
Prabodha, Sri Lanka
Program for Women’s Economic Social Cultural Rights (PWESCR), Delhi
Saheli, Delhi
South Asians for Human Rights
Suara Rakyat Malaysia (SUARAM)
Tamil Information Centre, London
The Association for Women’s Rights in Development (AWID)
UK Tamil Associations
Women’s Action Network, Sri Lanka
Women’s Rehabilitation Centre (WOREC), Nepal
WUNRN – Women’s UN Report Network

Source: http://www.ft.lk