WUNRN
Sri Lankan Government: Take Urgent Action to Stop Attacks on Muslims -
Women, Children +
We the undersigned
organizations, individuals and members of Sri Lankan and international civil
society condemn in the strongest possible terms the latest wave of horrific
violence led by the extreme right-wing Sinhala Buddhist organisation, Bodu Bala
Sena (BBS – The Buddhist Power Force)against the Muslim community of
south-western Sri Lanka in the towns of Aluthgama, Beruwala, Velipenna and
Dharga Town.
According to reliable sources
in the area, in the last two days at least four Muslims and one Tamil have been
killed by mobs following a BBS rally led by Its General Secretary, the Buddhist
Monk Galagodaaththe Gnanasara in which he referred to the Muslim community in
the most inflammatory and threatening terms after days of inter-communal
tension and clearly inciting hatred and violence. A further eighty people have
suffered serious injuries including shooting and knife wounds. Mosques have
been torched and stoned and many Muslim owned houses and businesses attacked
and destroyed.
It is noticeable that there has
not been an official call from the President of Sri Lanka (apart from two
twitter messages) to bring an end to the violence or to provide clear orders to
the security forces to maintain law and order. The BBS has been allowed to lead
a systematic and sustained campaign of violence against Muslims in Sri Lanka
attacking individuals, places of worship and business over the past three
years. Recent tensions in the area were well known and have been brought to the
attention of the political leaders of Sri Lanka but they have failed to act
decisively.
Despite heavy presence by the
Sri Lankan security forces now in the area, there has been very little
meaningful protection and a night time curfew was not respected by the mobs.
The riots have not been controlled and instead have spread to neighbouring
villages, where innocent men, women and children are fearful for their lives.
So far not many arrests have been made and the BBS General Secretary Gnanasara
is allowed to roam the area freely inciting further hatred and violence.
Independent journalists, community leaders and politicians have been refused
entry into the area to report on events or to seek ways to address them. Vans
carrying relief supplies into the area have been set alight.
Therefore, we call on the
Government of Sri Lanka to take immediate and effective action and ensure that
all perpetrators of this shameless violence are arrested without delay and that
peace is immediately restored.
The Sri Lankan government bears
ultimate responsibility to contain violence against religious minorities. The
President who is also the Minister of Law and Order, and Gotabaya Rajapaksa,
the Secretary of Defence, are both abroad on foreign trips but should return to
the country immediately to ensure law and order is maintained and reassure
their citizens that appropriate actions are being taken by deploying adequate
security forces to protect minorities from further violence.
The Government must also act to
allow independent journalists and community leaders to enter the area
safely to report on events and seek to address them in a peaceful manner.
Further, the Government must
act now to bring to an end this three year campaign of hate speech and violence
by the BBS – enough is enough
We call upon the UN Human Rights
Council, Organisation of Islamic Cooperation and other International
Organisations at the highest level to communicate its grave concerns to the
President and Government of Sri Lanka, calling upon the authorities to act
immediately to curb attacks on Muslims in Sri Lanka.
We call upon all Buddhist
nations to express profound concern at the systematic and sustained violence
perpetrated in the name of the Lord Buddha.
Finally, we call upon the UN
Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Religion and Belief, Heiner Bielefeld, to take
this issue up in the strongest possible terms with the Sri Lankan government
and to request permission to undertake an urgent visit to Sri Lanka and report
on these events.
We stand in solidarity with the
victims and survivors of the villages of Aluthgama, Beruwala, Dharga Town,
Walpitiya and Velipenna.
Signed by:
Individuals:
1. A.M.Faaiz, Attorney-at-Law,
Director, Secretariat for Muslims
2. Ahilan Kadirgamar
3. Aingkaran K.,
Attorney-at-Law
4. Aino Salish Kendra, Dhaka,
Bangladesh
5. Aisha Maniar, Human Rights
Activist, UK
6. Aliya Firozvi
7. Amarnath Amarasingham
8. Ameena Hussein
9. Anberiya Haneefa, MWRAF
10. Anenta Ratneswaren, UK
11. Anita Nesiah
12. Anuraj Sinnaththamby, UK
13. Anushka Kahandagama
14. Arjini Nawal
15. Aruna Burte, India
16. Aruni John
17. Asha Abeyasekera-Van Dort
18. Ashika GunasenaSerasundera
19. Ayesha Imam,
Nigeria/Senegal
20. B.Gowthaman,
Attorney-at-law
21. B.Senthilkumaran
22. Barrister Sara Hossain,
Advocate, Bangladesh Supreme Court and human Rights Activist
23. Barrister Jyortirmoy Barua,
Advocate Supreme Court of Bangladesh
24. Bhavani Fonseka,
Attorney-at-Law
25. Carmen Wickramagamage,
Academic
26. Cassam Uteem, Club de
Madrid and former President of Mauritius
27. Chamindry Saparamadu
28. Chandra Lekha Sriram,
Professor of International Law and International Relations University of East
London
29. Chantal Kambiwa, Executive
Director, SERVITAS Cameroon
30. Chinniah Rajeshkumar
31. Chulani Kodikara
32. Dayapala Thiranagama
33. Deanne Uyangoda
34. Delores Robinson, GROOTS
Trinidad and Tobago
35. Dennis Mc Gilvray,
Professor Department of Anthropology University of Colorado
36. Dharmasena Pathiraja,Film
Maker and Academic
37. Dharmasiri Bandaranayake,
TrikonE Cultural Foundation
38. Dinusha Panditaratne
39. Dr. Amrita Chhachhi, IIS,
the Hague, Netherlands
40. Dr. Farzana Haniffa
41. Dr. Hameeda Hossain
42. Dr. Mario Gomez
43. Dr. Nimmi Gowrinathan
44. Dr. Ratnajeevan Hoole
45. Dr. SamanthiJ. Gunewardena,
Lecturer in Gender and Development Monash University.
46. Dr. Shahnaz Huda, Professor
and Chair, Department of Law, University of Dhaka, Bangladesh.
47. Dr. Shahul Hasbullah
48. Dr. Sharika Thiranagama
49. Dr. Udan Fernando, Visiting
Academic, Open University of Sri Lanka.
50. Dr. Varun Soni, Dean of
Religious Life, University of Southern California
51. Dr. Veena R Poonacha,
Director, Research Center for Women's Studies, JNU New Delhi
52. Dr. Avabai Wadia, Archives
SNDT Women's University, Mumbai
53. Dyuti Ailawadi, India
54. E. Valentine Daniel,
Professor, Columbia University
55. Einul Azeema Lall Director,
Kaleels Maradana Nursing Home
56. Estella Schmid, UK
57. F.M. Nifraj
58. Faizun Zackariya, Co-
founder, Chair, Director of Muslim Women's Research and Action Forum
59. Fr. Emmanuel Sebamalai,
Mannar Citizen’s Committee
60. Fr. Jeyakumar
61. Gananath Obeysekere
62. Garvin Van Dort
63. Gayatri Wijekoon, Academic
64. Ghulam Mustafa Dulal,
Executive Director, Gonoshasthaya Kendra Dhaka, Bangladesh
65. Godfrey Yogaraja,Executive
Director, Religious Liberty Commission, World Evangelical Alliance
66. H.M. Maskoor
67. Hana Shams Ahmed, WHRD,
Bangladesh
68. Harshini Ranasinghe
69. Helen Saldanha, New Delhi
70. Herman Kumara, National
Fisheries Solidarity Movement
71. Jaya Velankar, Writer,
Gender Trainer, New Delhi, India
72. Jayanta de S Wijeratne
73. Jayanthi Kuru-Utumpala
74. Jeanne Marecek, PhD.,
Swarthmore College, USA
75. Jensila Majeed, Mullaitheevu
76. Jothie Rajah, Research
Professor, American Bar Foundation.
77. Judith Large
78. Juhi Jain, Feminist
Activist, Delhi
79. Juwairiya Mohideen
80. Kalyani Menon-Sen, Feminist
Activist, India
81. Kamayani Bali Mahabal,
Feminist and Human Rights Activist
82. Karamat Ali, Executive
Director, Pakistan Institute of Labour Education and Research, Karachi,
Pakistan
83. Karin Fernando
84. Karunai Karunailingam, UK
85. Kaveri Indira R I,
Hyderabad Central University
86. Khushi Kabir Human Right
Activist, Bangladesh
87. Kirupa Hoole
88. Kishwar Sultana, Insan
Foundation Trust
89. Kuhanithy Gunachandran
90. Kumudu Kusum Kumara
91. Kumuthini Samuel
92. Lakshan Dias, Board Member
Rights Now and Chairman SANRIM
93. Lareef Zubair, Visiting
Lecturer University of Peradeniya
94. Lata Singh, India
95. Leah Lakshmi Piepzna-
Samarasinha
96. Liyanage Amarakeerthi,
Academic
97. Luz Mendez, Executive
Board, National Union of Guatemalan Women
98. M A Sumanthiran, Attorney
at Law, Member of Parliament (TNA)
99. M Y M Siddeek, UK
100. M. Baseera
101. M. Jeslina
102. M. Mangaleswary,
Attorney-at-Law
103. M. Nufail
104. M. Rahman, Mannar
105. M. Thahir
106. M.K. Perinparaja,
Attorney-at- Law , Kalmunai
107. Mahaluxumi Kurushanthan,
Mannar
108. Mahendran Thiruvarangan
109. Mala Liyanage, Executive
Director, Law and Society Trust.
110. Mangai A., Tamil Nadu
111. Manori Kalugampitiya
112. Marta Benavides-- SIGLO
XXIII - EL SALVADOR, C.A.
113. Matt Withers
114. Meena Nallainathan
115. Mihiri Warnasuriya
116. Mini Sukumar, Assistant
Professor in Women's Studies, Center for Women's
Studies, University of Calicut,
Kerala
Mirak Raheem
117. Mohamed Adamaly
118. Mohamed Farook,
Attorney-at-Law, Akkaraipattu
119. Mohamed Rayees
120. Muhajiseen
121. Mushtaq Fuad
122. Nagulan Nesiah
123. Nalini Ratnarajah
124. Navaranjini Nadaraja
125. Nilakshi de Silva
126. Nimalan Seevaratnam MP, UK
127. Nimalka Fernando,
International Movement Against all forms of Discrimination
and Racism
128. Nirmal Ranjith Devasiri
129. Nirmala Rajasingam
130. Nisreen Jafferjee
131. Norma Maldonado,
Asociacion Raxch' och' Oxlaju Aj, AROAJ, Guatamala
132. P.N.Singham
133. Pakkiyanathan
Vijayashanthan
134. Pallavi Utthan , India
135. Papori Bora, Assistant
Professor, Centre for Women's Studies, JNU, New Delhi
136. Patricia Munabi, Babiiha
Forum for Women in Democracy(FOWODE)Kampala
137. Prashanth Kuganathan,
Teacher's College, Columbia University
138. Priti Darooka, Executive
Director PWESCR, India
139. Priya Thangarajah
140. Priyanthi Fernando
141. Purwa Bharadwaj, Writer
and Researcher, Delhi
142. Pushpa Achanta, Writer,
Bangalore
143. Professor Ajay Skaria,
University of Minnesota
144. Professor Anthony Anghie,
University of Utah
145. Professor Maithree
Wickramasinghe
146. Professor Neloufer de Mel
147. Professor Qadri Ismail,
University of Minnesota
148. Professor Sumathy
Sivamohan
149. Radha Paudel, Founder,
Action Works Nepal
150. Raghu Balachandran
151. Rajan Hoole
152. Rajany Chandrasegaram,
Jaffna
153. Rajashri Dasgupta,
Journalist, Kolkata
154. Ramani Muttettuwegama
155. Rebecca Kurian, India
156. Renu Alakenthiram,
Trincomalee
157. Rev. Kyoichi Sugino,
Deputy Secretary General, Religions for Peace, United Nations, NY
158. Rishana Haniffa
159. Robinah Rubimbwa, Kampala,
Uganda
160. Rohini Hensman
161. Ruki Fernando
162. S. Nanthikesan
163. S.H.M. Manarudeen,
Attorney-at-Law, Maruthamunai
164. Saadiqua Fauz
165. Sadia Ahmed, WELDD,
Shirkat Gah Women's Resource Centre, Pakistan
166. Samantha de Silva
167. Sarawanan Nadarasa
168. Savi Hensman
169. Seenirasa Vijayakumar, UK
170. Shaheen Anam, Development
Activist
171. Shamila Daluwatte
172. Shamsul Huda, Executive
Director, Association for Land Reform and
Development (ALRD)
173. Shanthi Satchithanandam,
Viluthu
174. Sharm Aboosally
175. Shayani Jayasinghe
176. Sheba George, SAHR WARU
Women's Action and Resource Unit, Ahmadabad
177. Shobasakthi
178. Shraddha Chickerur, Delhi
179. Shreen Abdul Saroor
180. Shyla Visahan, UK
181. Sithiravel Ithayarani
182. Sithy Zulfika
183. Suba Sivakumaran
184. Sudarshana Gunawardana
185. Sudesh Mantillake,
University of Peradeniya
186. Sukla Sen, Peace Activist,
India
187. Sumi Krishna , Scholar and
Feminist Activist, India
188. Syed Mohammad Ali,
Post-doctoral Fellow, McGill University, UK
189. T. Subaitha
190. T.Ganesh
191. Tanuja Thurairajah
192. Tasneem Ahmar, Director,
Research Centre on Women and Media, Pakistan
193. Teesta Setalvad,
Journalist and Secretary of Citizens for Justice and Peace Gujarat
194. Thahir Kubais
195. Thenuwara Chandraguptha
196. Uma Chakravarti, India
197. Urvashi Butalia, Publisher
and Activist, New Delhi, India
198. Usha Ganapragasam
Akkaraipattu
199. V.Subramaniam
200. V.V. Ganeshananthan, Lanka
Solidarity- USA
201. Vahida Nainar. India
202. Vairamuttu Vardakumar,
TIC, London
203. Vanie Simon Akkaraipattu
204. Vantha Mahendran
205. Vasanth Kannabiran, Asmita
Resource Centre for Women India
206. Vasuki Jeyasankar
207. Vasuki Nesiah, Assoc.
Prof. of Practice, New York University
208. Visaka Dharmadasa,
Association of War Affected Women
209. Vivek Sundara, India
210. YaliniDream
211. Yasmin Sooka , Executive
Director Foundation for Human Rights
212. Yvonne Zimmerman, UK
213. Zafrullah Chowdurry
Gonoshasthaya Kendra, Bangladesh
214. Zainab Ibrahim
215. Zareen Rasheed
Organisations:
216. Asian Forum for Human
Rights and Development (FORUM-ASIA)
217. Bytes for All (ICTs for
development, democracy and social justice), Pakistan
218. Campaign Against
Criminalizing Communities (CAMPACC)
219. Canadian Organization for
Peace and Equality (COPE) – Canada
220. Centre for Women in Governance,
Uganda
221. Centro de Estudios de la
Mujer CEM, Chile
222. Deltawomen Foundation,
Nigeria
223. International Centre for
Ethnic Studies, Sri Lanka
224. KontraS, The Federation of
Commission for the Disappeared and Victims of
Violence, Indonesia
225. Lanka Development
Journalists Forum
226. London Guantanamo
Campaign, UK
227. Mannar Women’s Development
Federation Sri Lanka
228. Muslim Women Development
Trust, Sri Lanka
229. Peace in Kurdistan
Campaign
230. People's Watch, India
231. Prabodha, Sri Lanka
232. Program for Women’s
Economic Social Cultural Rights (PWESCR), Delhi
233. South Asians for Human
Rights
234. Suara Rakyat Malaysia
(SUARAM)
235. Tamil Information Centre,
London
236. The Association for
Women’s Rights in Development (AWID)
237. UK Tamil Associations
238. Women’s Action Network,
Sri Lanka
239. Women’s Rehabilitation
Centre (WOREC), Nepal
240. Women's UN Report Network
- WUNRN
18th June 2014
SUMMARY &
BACKGROUND INFORMATION:
http://www.wunrn.com/pdf/aluthgama.pdf