Why Violent Attacks Continue Against Muslims In Sri Lanka?
Gnanasara
By R Hariharan -June 17, 2014
Col. (retd) R.Hariharan
“Bodu Bala Sena General
Secretary Galagodaaththe Gnanasara Thero addressing the rally in Aluthgama yesterday, referred to Muslims in derogatory terms and accused sections of the Government of being in collaboration with the Muslim Community. “They keep calling us racist and religious extremists. Yes, we are racists,” he charged as the crowd cheered him on. “This country still has a Sinhala police a Sinhala army. If a single Sinhalese is touched, that will be the end of all them,” he screamed.” – From Dharisha Bastiyan’s report in the Sri Lankan online portal Daily FT on June 16, 2014
The above media quote provides the simple answer to question “Why violent attacks continue against Muslims in Sri Lanka? The words quoted above are from the speech of Bodu Bala Sena (BBS)’s founder leader Gunasara Thero at a rally organized in Aluthagama on June 15. Read More
Video: Who Started The Riot?
ItJune 17, 2014
The Colombo Telegraph last afternoon received a clip of the purported catalyst which triggered Sunday riot, which is currently being widely circulated on social media.
The clip has also been posted on a Facebook page purported to be that of the Bodu Bala Sena , under the title “who started the riot?” and affiliated social media portals of the BBS on Facebook and other avenues.
In a narration to the video posted on all pages, it says that the video shows that “those who walked in the procession were organised and threw stones at the bystanders”.
Colombo Telegraph cannot independently verify the authenticity of the said video.
Elderly Muslims are seen calming the bystanders who are believed to be Muslims by raising their hands upward.
While marching those in the procession are heard chanting “whose force is this? its the force of the sinhalese ( Kageda mey balawegey, Sinhalayage balawegey” after which at the end of the clip a few youth start throwing unknown items that they carried towards the bystanders who then flee.
The BBS has carried the entire narration which reads.
“Many of the Sinhala media attempted to show that it was the Muslims who attacked the procession first. But this video is slef explanatory, an organised group who were walking in the procession start pelting stones at the Muslim bystanders”
