(02 May 2013)
Azath was taken into custody by the CID in my presence. It was early morning and I arrived at Gamini place Kolonnawa around 7.30.
There were police and STF both silently waiting like hunters. They did not want publicity but we wanted. He was with us both in the Protest of the Opposition and the Movement for Unity with Power Sharing.
In the latter organisation we intervened to defend devolution and we met every week for our press conference held on Wednesday.
We are politicians each with several decades of service to the Lankan society. Azath sally, one of us, have served as the deputy mayor of Colombo.
Two years back we got together to launch the “The Movement for Unity with Power Sharing,” a collaboration of well known political parties namely the NSSP, Democratic Peoples’ Front (DPF), Tamil National Alliance (TNA), National Unity Alliance (NUA), United Socialist Party (USP).
This collaboration is led by all of us, namely M.A. Sumanthiran, Siritunga Jayasuriya, Mano Ganesan, Azath sally and Bahu. We were at the forefront in condemning any attempt to raise racism, religious sectarianism in the country.
Our activities increased when attacks were launched by Bodu Bala Sena (BBS) on Muslim and Christian religious establishments and demanded that they refrain from certain religious practices.
On every known occasion of when a place of worship or establishment came under such attack our organization intervened to settle the matter. Asath sally participated in several television debates and discussions regarding the attack on minority religious establishments.
Recently a specific hate campaign was carried out against the Muslims and persons of other religious faiths other than Buddhism. State media were involved. Further more, publicity to such acts of the BBS and other extremist groups were given by the other media institutions.
At that time when the Dambulla mosque came under attack, we held awareness programs and legitimate protests in Colombo against the said attack.
Since this event we observed an isolated media campaign carried out against Azath sally. A series of anonymous web postings and SMSEs were circulated with the malicious attempt of targeting him.
Thereafter our organization held a press conference and called on the Government to arrest the situation and to ensure the safety and security to Azath. It was clear, based on the information available to us, that the Government is directly instrumental in isolating and attacking him.
Instead of giving protection to Azath, the Government proceeded to implicate him for inciting the Muslim population. Further the authorities attempted to arrest him on several occasions without any legal basis.
We informed the public of the moves to arrest him and the threat to his life. In or about mid April 2013, he filed an application for anticipatory bail in the Magistrate’s Court of Colombo which was granted by the Learned Magistrate. We held a protest objecting to move of the Government.
On or about 19th April 2013, officers of the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) questioned him and we understood that there is a move to arrest him, falsely implicating him for offences under the penal code and other laws in the country including the PTA.
We are aware of the move of the Government to arrest political leaders, who speak out against racism and religious sectarianism. The Government has an ulterior motive of controlling dissenting voices amongst other things.
Hence all who respect democracy should be extremely concerned about the safety and security of Azath, especially keeping in mind hundreds of extra judicial killings carried out in the recent past of persons in custody, none of which have been investigated properly.
Press Statement
2nd May 2013
| Azath Salley hospitalized |
  2013-05-03 Former Deputy Mayor of the Colombo Municipal Council (CMC), Azath Salley was admitted to the Colombo National Hospital in Ward No 55, around 4 PM this evening, hospital sources stated.
Azath Salley was taken into custody by the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) in the wee hours of yesterday, while hiding in a house in the Kolonnawa area, for allegedly protesting against the government and provoking religious and racial extremism. (Ceylon Today Online)
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| Azath Salley stage hunger strike at prison |
| [ Friday, 03 May 2013, 06:36.38 AM GMT +05:30 ] |
 Leader of the Muslim Tamil National Alliance engage hunger strike in the prison, relatives said. |
| Mr. Salley refused to consume food taken by his relatives and provided by the police officials. Azath Salley arrested over on making controversial statements against the country. He was schedule to file case against Bodu Bala Sena organization this week. Commenting on the activities of Bodu Bala Sena ,Lakshman Hulugalle , Director General, Media Center for National Security said BBS did not created ethnic separation in this country. However government announced Azath Salley arrested over spreading racism among people of this country. Mr. Salley was arrested while hiding at Kolonnawa area, CID officials conduct further investigations against him. |
