Monks Were Peaceful, Thugs Attacked, Monks Were Hospitalised – BBS

November 15, 2013 

“The attached photograph clearly shows that UNP leaders are lying that  Sirikotha was not used to tarnish the image of Bodu Bala Sena. Here some of the UNP supporters exhibiting some photos to show Bodu Bala Sena was involved in terror acts . We categorically deny that BBS has anything to do with some of the edited photos displayed here.” the group’s Chief Executive Officer Dilanthe Withanage told Colombo Telegraph.

Sending a email he said; “The following Video Clip clearly show that Bodu Bala Sena entered to Sirikotha peacefully. BBS spoke to the Leaders of the UNP Bhiiku Front  when entered to UNP Headquarters. The suddenly organized thugs attacked these monks who came to this place peacefully. Some monks and officials of BBS were hospitalized, Media equipments lost and damaged  during this attack. But UNP and NGO Propaganda shows to the world that BBS had demonstration and entered the premises forcefully. This is clearly violation of human rights of buddhists by UNP and Those NGOs organized this act of violence.”

Desist from polarising acts and reaffirm commonwealth values

 Friday, 15 November 2013 

As an organization that believes in constructive engagement, the National Peace Council chose to take part in the Commonwealth People’s Forum in the belief that we could strengthen our partnerships with the Commonwealth Foundation and Sri Lankan and international civil society.

We call for the implementation of its outcome statement which refers to the need to “Develop, foster, support and improve effective relationships between Commonwealth Member States and civil society, mutual respect for each other’s roles and responsibilities for good governance, and the right of civil society to represent and advocate.” They also called on Commonwealth Heads of State and Government to recognise the centrality of civil society in development and invest in supporting the conditions that create an enabling environment for civil society to participate in development processes more fully and to ensure commitment to a framework of mutual accountability at the global, regional and national levels, in which all development policies and processes are firmly grounded in a human rights based approach.

Unfortunately, however, in the run-up to the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting, and even today, the dominant trend appears to be overreactions on the part of the governmental authorities reinforcing divisions between the government, opposition and civil society. This has even led to the main opposition party deciding to boycott CHOGM in protest. One of the more serious incidents was the mob attack on stoning of the Opposition Leader Ranil Wickremesinghe’s vehicle outside the UNP party headquarters when he was going inside to address a gathering of missing persons protesting against the government’s delay in finding their loved ones. This might convey to the foreign visitors that there is no freedom of assembly and that the government permits such freedom only to those who support its cause and act to violently suppress the right of freedom of the others to resort to peaceful protest- a right recognized in democratic countries. The National Peace Council deplores this incident that took place in the shadow of CHOGM and also the turning back by police of hundreds of members of families of missing persons who were coming for this demonstration from the North of the country. The unleashing of violent elements against peaceful demonstrations and gatherings can only lead to a negative impression in the eyes of the international community gathered in Sri Lanka for CHOGM.

These incidents are in contradiction to President Mahinda Rajapaksa’s assurance that his government will uphold the values of the Commonwealth, which include respect for the freedom of association and right of free expression, and right to peaceful protest. These actions also indicate the failure to recognize the freedom that civil society organizations should enjoy according to the UN Declarations. As the future Chairman of the Commonwealth for the next two years, a crucial responsibility is vested in President Mahinda Rajapaksa to uphold democratic values such as fundamental freedoms and human rights not only in Sri Lanka but to draw the attention of other Commonwealth States to if and when they falter in upholding these values. Verbal assurances are not enough. The country and its leader will be judged not by the words expressed but the actions of its leader and the state machinery.