Gota’s Statement On Muslim Extremism Is An ‘Important Victory’ – BBS
September 4, 2013
The Bodu Bala Sena Executive Committee that met yesterday hailed remarks made by Secretary to the Ministry of Defence Gotabaya Rajapaksaat a Defence Seminar about the threat to Sri Lanka from rising Muslim Extremism as a courageous statement from a national leader and said it was an ‘important victory’ for the BBS in its year long ideological battle.
Gotabaya and BBS monks
It is the Bodu Bala Sena movement’s view that the MOD Secretary’s revelation would effectively answer detractors and pseudo politicians who called the organisation a terrorist movement for expressing the very same sentiments, the BBS said in a media release.
“If the LTTE extremism had been identified 40 years ago Sri Lanka could have been a developed country, that would not have had to endure the dangerous results of a 30 year war,” the Bodu Bala Sena said.
It is the nation’s good fortune that Muslim extremism has been identified and exposed now before it could result in similar devastating consequences in 20 years time, the BBS asserted.
“At a time when expressing the truth is not part of the conduct of the politician and official, at a time when people work for temporary gain, the Bodu Bala Sena believes that the gratitude and respect of all non-extremist sections of the Sinhala, Muslim and Tamil communities is due to Mr. Gotabhaya Rajapaksa who has eschewed petty political gain and had the backbone to make such a statement,” the BBS said in a statement released to the media.
“The Bodu Bala Sena asserts that this statement will be the stepping stone to a leadership that will defeat Muslim and all other types of extremism and make Sri Lanka a peaceful country,” the organisation said.
Illegal Media Sources Spreading False Propaganda: Gota
September 3, 2013
Three days after visiting UN Human Rights High Commissioner Navi Pillay warned that Sri Lanka was becoming increasingly authoritarian and said critical voices were silenced in the country, often permanently, the powerful Secretary to the Ministry Of Defence Gotabaya Rajapaksa yesterday said “illegal media sources” were engaging in false propaganda to damage the country’s image internationally.
Gota
He said it was the responsibility of every citizen, political group and media organisation to “exercise their democratic freedoms with responsibility and not engage in unlawful activity under the guise of exercising their freedoms.”
The Secretary MOD who was delivering the keynote address at Defence Seminar 2013, differentiated between ‘legitimate’ media channels, newspapers and websites that “freely operate” in Sri Lanka and “illegal sources” that engage in “false propaganda.”
Gotabaya Rajapaksa warned people should not abuse freedoms guaranteed through democracy with ulterior motives. “Rights and freedoms must always be exercised with responsibility; if not, negative consequences could ensue for the country at large,” he said.
One month after the military allegedly opened fire at a public protest for water in Gampaha, the Secretary MOD said: “In our democracy, there is ample freedom for people to demonstrate with regard any issue that they feel is important. This is a healthy sign of a vibrant democracy. However, when people go beyond peaceful demonstration and engage in violent protest, incite violence or act in other undemocratic ways, they exploit and abuse democratic freedoms. Certain groups with vested interests exploit legitimate demonstrations to show the country in a bad light-some of them confront the police, cause disturbances and even riots, and create a very negative image about the country internationally.”
The Secretary MOD warned that subversive elements with ulterior motives may use modern technology and connectivity to portray the country in a negative light.Read More
