Helping Hambantota: Lawyers Acquiesced When Ex CJ Perverted Justice

| by Tassie Seneviratne

( October 26, 2014, Colombo, Sri Lanka Guardian) It is reported that the former CJ Sarath N Silva had made a confession of the fact that he did not give the right judgement in 2005, and that he tendered an apology for his ‘mistake’. The judgement in 2005, referred to, is his judgement in the FR application made by Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapakse to quash the CID investigation against him for allegedly misappropriating Rs 83,000,000/= from the Tsunami Fund which is a public fund, to the ‘Helping Hambantota Fund’ which is a private fund.

Investigations were initiated by the CID under DIG/CID Lionel Goonetillake on the orders of the Attorney General, K.C. Kamalasabayasan on a complaint made by MP Kabir Hashim to the effect that the Prime Minister was siphoning Tsunami Funds into a private fund. Initial inquiries revealed prima facie evidence of misappropriation and the CID filed a B report in the Fort Magistate’s Court (Case No B/1294/5) with the concurrence of the Attorney General. Based on the CID report the court immediately called for details of the several bank accounts involved in the Helping Hambantota episode.

This investigation opened a can of worms. In August 2005 the money was returned after seven months of holding it in a private account, which was further evidence of the alleged misappropriation. Everyone acquainted with the facts of the case was aghast at the judgement of the CJ in the FR application quashing the investigation on the basis that the allegations were false and politically motivated. The complaint may have been politically motivated, but that does not per se make the allegation false.

Moreover, DIG/CID Lionel Gunatillake and the Attorney General K.C. Kamalasabayasan who were responsible for filing the ‘B’ report were both public servants of the highest integrity, who would not have filed the ‘B’ report if there was no prima facie evidence to justify further investigations. The CJ however, not only arbitrarily quashed the investigation but also ordered the following compensations to be paid to Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapakse, the petitioner in the FR application:-

1. MP Kabir Hashim – complainant/informant - Rs 100,000/=

2. IG Police Chandra Fernando – Rs 100,000/=

3. DIG/CID Lionel Gunatillake – Rs 100,000/=

4. State- Rs 200,000/=

It may be noted that the imposition of these compensatory fines was against the Rule of Natural Justice – audi alteram partem, which means no punishment can be meted out to any person without affording that person an opportunity to defend himself. In this case no formal charges were served on these public servants and hence the punishments were arbitrary and in violation of a principle of Natural Justice. There is enough and more law authority to support my contention.

It is unfortunate that lawyers appearing for police officers acquiesced to the arbitrary judgements of this CJ in order to insulate their practice before him. It is only attorney Ms Kishali Pinto-Jayawardene who had the spunk to take him to task for his perverted judgments, in her columns in the Sunday Times.

A mistake is an error of judgement, but a deliberate malversation of justice in an alleged crime against the nation, with a view to unscrupulously enhance ones personal ambitions, is no ‘mistake’. This statement of the Ex CJ has now exposed a string of crimes committed by him and hitherto kept under cover by arbitrary judicial process. On his own admission, besides perjury,

1. He has connived to foist a person facing serious criminal allegations as the Executive President of the country.

2. In the perpetration of the above criminal acts, it would now be clear that the arbitrary imposition of compensatory fines amounts to extortion.

3. It is also revealed that he has committed a heinous crime of extortion against innocent public servants who had performed their duty conscientiously. Should he not be made to pay back the arbitrary fines to the innocent public servants with compensation, apart from any other action deemed fit against him?

( The writer is a retired Senior Superintendent of Police, Sri Lanka)

Referendum Red Alert: Blood Tsunami, Broken Country

By Dayan Jayatilleka -October 26, 2014

Dr. Dayan Jayatilleka

It was Ceylon Today and its sister paper Mawbima which got the most important news story of the year 2014; a story which if it proves accurate, may be the one that determines the destiny of this country. With perfect editorial judgment, the Ceylon Today issue of October 24^th 2014 ran the story as its page one lead. The headline read: ‘REFERENDUM IN THE OFFING?’

The operative paragraph of reporter Rashini Mendis’ story read as follows:

“After the next Presidential Election is held early January, the government could hold a referendum to extend the life of the present Parliament by a further six years, under powers vested in the Executive, Minister of Botanical Gardens and Public Recreation, Jayaratne Herath hinted. He made this observation during an event to mark the assuming of duties of Deputy Minister of Botanical Gardens and Public Recreation, V. Radhakrishnan, yesterday.”

While this could be either kite flying or whistle blowing by the Minister, it must be taken with the utmost seriousness by the citizenry. The worst, most dangerous single political decision I have witnessed in this country in my lifetime was President Jayewardene’s decision immediately after his handsome win at the Presidential election of October 1982, to hold a Referendum instead of the scheduled parliamentary election. The sheer savagery that Sri Lanka descended to for three decades, can be traced back to that single decision which shut off the safety valves of a parliamentary election and disconnected the feedback loops that operate only in a functioning electoral democracy with a parliament that accurately reflects the balance of political forces. What was done in the name of stability and security triggered decades of bloody volatility and utter insecurity.

Black July ’83 would not have reached its scale and intensity if not for the shutting down a few months earlier, of peaceful and democratic avenues of social discontent. If not for Black July, India would not have felt compelled by Tamil Nadu agitation, to covertly support Tamil armed militancy in a massive cross-border covert campaign, the LTTE would not have grown into the formidable militia it did, the war would not have taken the scale that it did with all the human suffering it entailed.                         Read More

NSSP has not taken decision on common presidential candidate

Sunday, 26 October 2014 

NSSP says that it has not been taken any decision on common presidential candidate, although general secretary of NSSP Dr. Vickramabahu Karunarathna had announced to support opposition common candidate for the forthcoming election.

The full statement of NSSP as follows

LSSP Senior members decides to act independetly

(Lanka-e-News -26.Oct.2014, 10.30PM) The Central Committee of the Lanka Sama Samaja Party (LSSP) met today at the party Headquarters to consider three documents submitted to the central committee by three members of the committee.

After the discussion without any notice of a resolution a motion was proposed to support Mahinda Rajapaksha at the coming Presidential election.

Very senior members including Lal Wijenayake, Dr Jayampathi Wickramarathne, Prof  Vijayakumar ,S Ramanathan , Wimal Rodrigo , keerthi Kariyawasam  and Chamil perea protested as the resolution was moved without giving any notice to the members in advanced .  However the chairman put it to the vote amidst protest.

And the resolution was passed 25 members voting for and 13 members voting against.  The protesting members informed the Central Committee that they reject this decision of the Central Committee taken to support the President at the presidential election and that they will defy the decision and act independently to support a candidate who will stand for abolition of the executive presidential system. 

Many of the members who were opposed are very senior members of the party including those whose names were mentioned above. 

Is India’s Concern At Presence Of China In Sri Lana Justified ?

| by N.S.Venkataraman

( October 26, 2014, Chennai, Sri Lanka Guardian) India is reported to have expressed its serious concern to Sri Lanka over China’s increasing military presence on the island.

The concern appears to have been expressed in the context of a nuclear powered submarine known as Changzheng 2 docking at the Colombo International Container Terminal on 15th September. It was reported to be the first submarine to visit Sri Lanka from China . Before its arrival , it was reported that two Chinese naval vessels had docked in Colombo from September 7 to 13th.

After seeing these developments, obviously, government of India should be wondering as to what was the reason for the nuclear powered submarine from China visiting Sri Lanka, particularly since India has border dispute with China and China is making claims to chunk of India’s territory in Arunachal Pradesh.

Neither the Government of China nor that of Sri Lanka have explained the reasons in public domain for such activity. It is probable that the government of India has desired to get “explanation” from Sri Lankan government, in the present circumstances. It may be noted that India has not asked for such “explanation” from the government of China.

Of course, one cannot miss the point that Sri Lanka is a sovereign country and the Sri Lankan government is entitled to have any sort of relation with any country in the world and there is no need for a sovereign country to explain its stand to another country. At the same time, the ground reality is that Sri Lanka is a very close neighbouring country to India and any military presence of Chinese or any other country in Sri Lanka would cause concern to India . This will particularly be so, if India is not aware of the reasons for such presence.

While the government of India and government of Sri Lanka have been, by and large maintaining healthy relationship with each other, the fact that there have been adverse campaign against Sri Lanka in Tamil Nadu can be an irksome factor in relationship between both the countries. It is possible that the government of India may be wondering as to whether Sri Lanka is entertaining the military presence of China to counter any pressure from India ,particularly with regard to the ethnic issues in Sri Lanka.

In recent times, China has been going out of the way to help Sri Lanka by investing heavily in infrastructure projects and also by extending vocal support to Sri Lanka at the Human Rights Council, where 23 countries voted in favour of an international enquiry in Sri Lanka’s human rights record in 2014. While China has extended its support to Sri Lanka at the Human Rights Council, India has abstained. This could also be a major factor in Sri Lanka’s thinking , when it entertained the Chinese nuclear power submarine in Sri Lanka.

All said and done, Sri Lanka’s relations with India is far more traditional and historic with both the countries sharing cultural identity in several aspects , as compared to Sri Lanka’s relations with China. It is very important that Sri Lanka government should keep this aspect in view while maintaining its balance of relationship with India and China. Sri Lanka is a small island compared to the size of India and China with India being so close to Sri Lanka . Creating suspicions in the perspective of government of India with regard to Sri Lanka’s military relationship with China is unnecessary and avoidable and it may not be in Sri Lanka’s long term interests.

The leadership of both government of Sri Lanka and government of India should exhibit quality of maturity and statesmanship in viewing their long term relationships. Transparency is a desirable option and costly mistakes should be avoided by both the countries.

India conveys concern at China presence in Sri Lanka

MEERA SRINIVASAN-October 26, 2014

India has expressed serious concern to Sri Lanka over China’s increasing military presence on the island, it is reliably learnt.

Official sources in New Delhi told The Hindu that Sri Lankan Defence Secretary Gotabaya Rajapaksa’s India visit last week was for a meeting in this connection. The Defence Secretary, who is the brother of President Mahinda Rajapaksa, met National Security Adviser (NSA) Ajit Doval and Defence Minister Arun Jaitley. “The meeting was held to raise the issue of a Chinese submarine calling at a Sri Lankan port last month. It is of serious concern to India's national security,” said a senior official, who requested anonymity.

Changzheng 2, a nuclear-powered submarine, docked at the Colombo International Container Terminals Ltd on September 15. It was the first such submarine to visit Sri Lanka, the Sunday Times reported. Before its arrival, two Chinese naval vessels had docked in Colombo from September 7 to 13, it said.

China and Sri Lanka have strong ties, with China investing heavily in infrastructure projects on the island. China is also its vocal supporter at the Human Rights Council, where 23 countries voted in favour of an international inquiry into Sri Lanka’s rights record in 2014. India had abstained.

Confronting the ‘banality of evil’

Sunday, October 26, 2014

During last year’s Commonwealth Heads of Government meeting, President Mahinda Rajapaksa was so bold as to state at a news conference broadcast around the world that Sri Lanka has a legal system and “if anyone wants to complain about human rights violations, whether it is torture, whether it is rape … we have a system…we will take action against anyone. So we are open. We have nothing to hide.”
The truth however belies the brashness of this claim.

Unforgivably assinine state repression
If this Government has nothing to hide, why it is so afraid of its own shadow as to arbitrarily and suddenly enforce restrictions on the travel of non-Sri Lankans to the North? Why did its agencies think it fit recently to disrupt a wholly innocuous commemoration event for perhaps the North’s best known human rights defender, Dr. Rajani Thiranagama who, as irony would have it, was assassinated by the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) when she spoke out against injustice? Could there be a better instance of unforgivably assinine state repression than this?

And why are dissenters regularly subjected to death threats when they cross the unwritten line in challenging this regime? Are these actions of a Government which ‘has nothing to hide’? One cannot surely think so.

On that same argument, why does this Government send its representatives to international forums to engage in prevarication if not outright lying on the State’s record in terms of our own law and the Constitution? This was disconcertingly evidenced earlier this month during consideration of Sri Lanka’s Fifth State Party Report by the United Nations Human Rights Committee under the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. Indeed, abstaining from participating in these treaty procedures may be more strategic in the long run.

Coping with the most astonishing claims
As this column has previously discussed, this particular State Party Report was bad enough, containing misrepresentations as well as errors in law. Granted, counsel from the Department of the Attorney General appearing before the Committee were tasked with a bad brief as they strenuously attempted to defend an ill prepared report. But the limit of ridiculousness is reached when scarcely an eyelid is blinked even as the most astonishing claims are made.

For example (and this is just one of many), it would be funny if it was not so tragic to hear state representatives protesting that the emergency regime has been dismantled while glossing over the unpleasant fact that the far more draconian Prevention of Terrorism Act still holds Sri Lanka in its iron grip?
Several Tamil detainees including mothers who protested against the disappearances of their children have been detained for years under this obnoxious law without any charges being brought. The law is also routinely used to threaten dissenters in the South while allowing those adept at hate speech such as the members of the Bodu Bala Sena (BBS) to escape without punishment.

Simple statistics do not lie
Similarly unacceptable are state claims that the fundamental rights protection mechanism and the habeas corpus remedy of the appellate courts are thriving. One does not have to go far to show that this is far from the case. Simple statistics relating to judicial performance under the Rajapaksa Presidency will show this in no uncertain terms.

Both remedies are of primary importance when it comes to disappeared persons. Yet both mechanisms have been rendered of no practical value. Citation of old precedents by honourable Sri Lankan judges during infinitely saner times when we had a functional justice system cannot detract from this fact. Let us be clear about this.

This issue merits detailed scrutiny when the Committee issues its Concluding Observations on Sri Lanka next week along with the other countries whose reports were also considered at this month’s sessions, namely Burundi, Haiti, Israel, Malta and Montenegro. For the moment however, it may suffice to ask if this Government believes that every lie it utters will be believed without dispute? Perhaps it has the colossal arrogance to think that it does.

The anguish of human beings affected by state abuse
Just a year before active fighting ceased in the Wanni, a medical professional of Tamil ethnicity came to meet me regarding the disappearance of his father-in-law, a senior academic who had been ‘disappeared’ while attending a seminar in an elite Colombo neighbourhood designated as a High Security Zone. The poignancy surrounding this incident came from the fact that the son-in-law, a skilled eye surgeon, had been operating on the eyes of wounded Sinhalese soldiers in Colombo’s Eye Hospital at the very time that his distraught wife informed that his father-in-law had ‘disappeared.’

Even to this day, one can recall the anguished manner in which he lamented that ‘we only want to know what has happened to him because death rituals are an important part of our culture and we need to carry them out.’ Up to now, this incident remains among Sri Lanka’s unresolved disappearances. And how can state complicity not be inferred when we remain such a highly policed and militarized society? This is still the same question that is relevant six years down the line when journalists, human rights defenders, trade unionists and academics are threatened and assaulted.

As Hannah Arendt remarked in regard to the actions of Germany’s Nazis, it is the banality of evil in our midst that we should fear the most. The nature of Sri Lanka’s state security apparatus, always brooding, always threatening, has changed post-war so as to render individual liberties close to non-existent. President Rajapaksa’s ambitious claim that his Government has ‘nothing to hide’ therefore only bears a marked resemblance to that well loved fable regarding the Emperor who had no clothes. Sri Lanka’s minorities realized this painful truth quite some time ago. Now it is the turn of the Sinhala majority to experience the ramifications of this hideous reality.

Strategy in public policy: Continuous public consultations a must

October 27, 2014 

Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka?
The official name of the country called Sri Lanka is the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka. One may wonder what this means because many other countries have chosen to call themselves just Republics. The list is extensive but some notable examples from this region are Republic of Korea, Republic of India, Republic of Singapore, Republic of Indonesia, Republic of Maldives and Republic of the Philippines and so on. The full list of the official names of the countries in the world has been documented by Wikipedia (available at: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_sovereign_states).

Strategy in Public Policy Continuous Public Consultations a Must by Thavam Ratna

Mahinda's 'Baiya Budget' aimed at winning elections! 

October 26, 2014

The stage was set for a Presidential Election in January next year by President Mahinda Rajapaksa, who presented a budget full of goodies to the public sector, with a 'small carrot' to the private sector employees who were given an increase of Rs 500.The private sector views this move as an additional burden at a crisis-ridden time when they were called upon to pay a two per cent increase in the employers' contribution to the Employees' Provident Fund (EPF). The proposal will compel the private sector to undergo financial difficulties starting January 2015. In a bid to win the hearts of the garment sector employees, Rajapaksa mooted the idea of a pension scheme to them. But, nothing concrete was spelt out. All proposals starting from number one to the end looked packed with 'bonanzas' to target the January Presidential Election.
Mahinda's 'Baiya Budget' Aimed at Winning Elections! by Thavam Ratna

Video: LTTE connections of Ministry of Foreign Affairs

SUNDAY, 26 OCTOBER 2014 
The Secretary to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Mrs. Kshenuka Seneviratna has been accused of handing over repairs to the Permanent Mission of Sri Lanka to the United Nations Office at Geneva to a company of a person who had been taken into custody by intelligence sections of Switzerland for having connections with the LTTE and collected funds for it and having close relationships with such persons.

The report of the committee appointed by the Secretary to the Ministry of Finance confirming these accusations has been published. However, Prof. G.L. Peiris, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, without taking action regarding this report is attempting to protect the accused Secretary to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. A special exposure regarding this was made by the Member of the JVP for North Central PC Wasantha Samarasinghe.

Related news:

Video: Wimal acts savior for accused Kshenuka

Video: Here’s the report that exposed Kshenuka’s LTTE dealings

Video: Tamara confirms Wasantha’s exposure of Kshenuka

Samarasinghe exposes govt.’s LTTE dealings

Govt. in a muddle after Samarasinghe’s exposure

Was Jauffer sacrificed on behalf of Kshenuka?

SATURDAY, 25 OCTOBER 2014

It is reported that an official employed at the Permanent Mission of Sri Lanka to the United Nations Office at Geneva has resigned.

According to sources the official who has resigned is Uduman Jauffer. The Member of the Central Committee of the JVP exposed the LTTE dealings that had occurred in a repair carried out to the mission in Geneva when Ms. Kshenuka Seneviratna was the ambassadress.

The contract for the repairs had been handed over without any tender proceedings to a company managed by LTTE sympathizers who had collected money for the terrorist group to buy arms.

When Mr. Samarasinghe exposed this through the media and Ms. Kshenuka Seneviratna who was the permanent representative at the time and the Ministry of External Affairs were directly accused of the racket the Ministry mentioned a person named Jauffer.

Did Gotabaya Precipitate The Crisis With Chris Nonis?

By Rajiva Wijesinha - October 26, 2014 |

Prof. Rajiva Wijesinha MP

In the course of the frenetic travel programme I had set myself before the usual budget period, I had just two days in Sri Lanka last week. They were packed, with Parliament, and an overnight stay with a cousin visiting after several days, and the 92^nd birthday of my most distinguished aunt, but also a couple of interviews as well as meetings with two ambassadors.

Though I feel increasingly despondent, I continue to defend the war record of the government, and indeed feel that some of the absurdities now occurring spring from the bitterness felt with regard to unfair attacks on us. But when I reiterated how fundamentally wrong the Darusman Report had been, one of them asked very simply why we had not refuted it.

This failure continues to bemuse me, and the more so now after the Marga Institute produced their Third Narrative, which provides a wonderful opportunity on which government could build. But given the schizophrenia that possesses government, it will not take ownership of this document and flesh it out with details that only government possesses (though perhaps it has again misplaced them, for I had a frantic but informal request from the Foreign Ministry for the Peace Secretariat archives).

One explanation I offered the ambassador was that government simply had no one left who could argue a case intelligently and in good English. A couple of years back, when I told the President to make better use of the professionals in the Ministry of External Affairs, he told me that their command of English was weak. I fear this is a myth of which he has been convinced by those who see themselves as brilliant exponents of the language, having been to elite Colombo schools. The fact that they cannot use the language with sophistication, or respond in a manner those accusing us would take to heart, is not something the President realizes.

                                                                       Read More 

REPORT LEAKS 

October 26, 2014

By Sulochana Ramiah Mohan

A confidential report, containing written submissions of 28 persons, with regard to the fracas between former Sri Lankan High Commissioner to Britain, Dr. Chris Nonis and Monitoring MP External Affairs Ministry, Sajin Vaas Gunawardene, in New York recently, had been submitted to President Mahinda Rajapaksa.

Ceylon Today is in possession of this report, which was submitted to the President by the Ministry of External Affairs in Colombo. All written submissions are in the nature of criticizing Dr. Nonis over the reported incident.
The Ministry, on the directives of the President, called for an inquiry into the incident. Accordingly, 28 persons had sent in written submissions denying an incident of assault on Dr. Nonis.

However, when contacted, Dr. Nonis said he was 'unlawfully' assaulted by Monitoring MP Sajin Vaas Gunawardene and added he was a professional and did not want to continue in that office following the incident. He further said, "On the very same day of the incident, I tendered my resignation and the Ministry accepted it on 3 October. In my resignation I thanked the President for giving me an opportunity to serve the country for two years."

Among the 28 persons who had given written submissions was Dilan Ariyawansa, in New York, who had organized the party at which the said incident occurred. He said, in his submission, that there was social drinking with music and he saw Dr. Nonis seated on a high stool losing his balance and falling on to the ground.
Sri Lankan Ambassador to the United States, Prasad Kariyawasam, who accompanied Dr. Nonis to the party has stated; "I was listening to the music and later came to know that Dr. Nonis had left the venue."

None of the eye-witnesses have stated about witnessing an assault incident as per the written submissions sent to Colombo.
The Ministry had submitted a report containing the evidence sent to it to the President with no observations at Ministerial level.

The evidence also included a letter dated 10 October 2014 undersigned by 10 staff of the UK Mission, namely, Acting HC – Chamari Rodrigo, Minister /Commerce, Sonali Wijeratne, Minister Education, Dr Kokila Waidyaratne, Minister Consular and Immigration, Lalith Sepala Ratnayake, Minister Counsellor / Administration, Niranjan Pathiratne, Counsellor/Political and Public Affairs, K.K. Yoganaadan, Third Secretary D.A.S. Wijewantha, Second Secretary Muttu Padmakumaran, Attache/Administration J.M.G. Jayasundera and Attache/Consular, H.K.G. Sarathchandra.

End of innocence in Canada, Sri Lanka declared "unstoppable" 

by Rajan Philips-October 25, 2014

Last Wednesday was a day of mayhem in Canada’s parliament that sent political shockwaves throughout the world. The gunfire in Canada’s parliament was next to nothing in scale compared to attacks elsewhere, but that an attack could take place in the Canadian parliament stunned political watchers everywhere. The Canadian government’s recent decision to add its mite to the fight against the upstart Islamic State in Iraq and Syria led to speculation that the IS was targeting Canada in retaliation. World leaders expressed sympathy and solidarity in statements and in tweets as the cable and the social media broke into ‘ball by ball’ reporting and commentating.

End of Innocence in Canada, Sri Lanka Declared Unstoppable by Thavam Ratna

BUDDHIST RADICALISM IN SRI LANKA AND MYANMAR - ANALYSIS

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Petition by

Say No to Hatred-BY SAY NO TO HATRED · 17,408 SUPPORTERS

Stop the extreme Bodu Bala Sena

Oct 26, 2014 — "An open partnership between transnational religious nationalist groups such as the 969 Movement, the BBS and the RSS has created a cloud of concerns for the rest of the region. Assimilation of such ultranationalist groups puts the region into quandary vis-à-vis addressing the larger question of the societal integration and the States’ policies on minority communities. With these unprecedented developments gaining momentum, there could be a further rise in violent aggression on the Muslim minorities, ultimately threatening peace and security in the region."

http://www.eurasiareview.com/22102014-buddhist-radicalism-sri-lanka-myanmar-differences-motivations-analysis/

Buddhist Radicalism In Sri Lanka And Myanmar: Differences in Motivations - Analysis

By Roomana Hukil Recently, hard-line Buddhist clerics in Myanmar and Sri Lanka stated that Buddhist associations from both countries will work together to protect Buddhism against the threat from the Muslim...

HTTP://WWW.EURASIAREVIEW.COM

BUDDHIST RADICALISM IN SRI LANKA AND MYANMAR: DIFFERENCES IN MOTIVATIONS – ANALYSIS

By IPCS

By Roomana Hukil-OCTOBER 22, 2014

Monks protesting in Burma, photo by Racoles, Wikipedia Commons

Recently, hard-line Buddhist clerics in Myanmar and Sri Lanka stated that Buddhist associations from both countries will work together to protect Buddhism against the threat from the Muslim extremists around the globe. Last month, Myanmar’s Ashin Wirathu and Sri Lanka’s Galagodaththe Gnanasara met in Colombo to work towards “Buddhists around the globe to ally internationally.” Following this, the Bodu Bala Sena (BBS) expressed interest in seeking out to a similar partnership with India’s Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) towards securing a ‘Buddhist-Hindu peace zone in Asia’ to counter radical elements.

Are there divergences between radical Buddhist groups with respect to their attitudes and sentiments towards minorities in Sri Lanka and Myanmar? What impact do such fundamentalist collaborative ties have on the rest of the region?

To Each His Own

Reaching out to a larger international audience by means of collaborations provides impetus for radical Buddhists in both states to exhibit their Islamophobic character whilst protecting their image from being tarnished as an extremist force. Domestic compulsions such as the ends of the civil war in Sri Lanka and military rule in Myanmar created new fissures in the socio-political and economic fronts of the two states. However, despite the similarities, there are differences in social and ideological contexts as well as in political ambitions between the radical Buddhists of Sri Lanka and Myanmar.

Buddhist clerics’ demands and statements in Sri Lanka indicate that their main objective is to form a ‘single Sinhala nation’. With the fall of Liberation Tigers of the Tamil Eelam (LTTE) and absolute control gained over the north-east in Sri Lanka, the government considers the Tamil minority to be amongst the least of threats in attaining its goal. Thus, the next targets are the Muslims and Christians because the radical nationalist Buddhists are insecure about the perceived rapid conversion rates of the Sinhala people to Christianity and Islam.

Most minority groups in the state such as Tamils, Muslims and Christians – predominantly found, in the major cities of Sri Lanka such as Colombo – are disregarded because of their economic prosperity and domination in the service sectors. Hence, with the support of the government, both groups have been trying to contain all other religious minorities and keep a tab on them. More so, some Sinhala businessmen reportedly pay Buddhist organisations to pester the Muslim-run business groups.

More than aspiring for religious and ethnic statehood such as in the case of Sri Lanka, radical Myanmarese Buddhists majorly fear that if the Muslim community acts irresponsibly, Myanmar will become an Islamist state. It is out of extreme paranoia that Muslims are loathed in Myanmar. This coupled with Muslim individuals’ purchasing of Buddhist-owned land, and their increasing numbers riles Buddhist clerics. Myanmar’s monks are quite isolated and maintain a rather basic relationship with the Buddhists of the rest of the world.

However, Sri Lanka is an exception because the country has historically been fraught with ethnic strife. Myanmar’s monks are inspired by the assertive political nature of the monks from Sri Lanka’s Sinhala majority and, therefore, reach out to them. In Sri Lanka and Myanmar, Muslims comprise approximately 10 per cent or less of the total population and Buddhists account for approximately 70 per cent. Therefore, it is difficult to determine which group is more radical in nature in its approach to the perceived threat from ‘Islamists’.

Cloudy Days Ahead

Fundamental Islamic groups initially refrained from joining and assisting their Muslim counterparts in both Sri Lanka and Myanmar on the grounds that they were “unruly, sinful and did not deserve to be protected under Islamic law.” However, this scenario may be changing now. The numbers of Islamist associations germinating in various pockets of both rural and urban Sri Lanka and Myanmar may be on the rise. With the Islamic State openly denouncing the extremist activities of Buddhist radical groups against minority Muslims, tensions regarding the likelihood of unrest in both these countries in the near future seep into the political discourse of the international system.

An open partnership between transnational religious nationalist groups such as the 969 Movement, the BBS and the RSS has created a cloud of concerns for the rest of the region. Assimilation of such ultranationalist groups puts the region into quandary vis-à-vis addressing the larger question of the societal integration and the States’ policies on minority communities. With these unprecedented developments gaining momentum, there could be a further rise in violent aggression on the Muslim minorities, ultimately threatening peace and security in the region. Also, currently, Buddhist radical elements have increasingly created paranoia in the region resulting in Buddhism’s image being branded negatively. There are fears that a conflict between jihadists and radical Buddhists may be sparked as a reciprocal violence. If such extremism were to spread to other less complex regions such as Cambodia and Laos, the repercussions of that phenomenon might be frustrate the relative peace of the region.

Roomana Hukil
Research Officer, IReS, IPCS
Email: Roomana@ipcs.org