Worried by the attacks on Muslims in Sri Lanka by Sinhala-Buddhist groups, DMK President Kalaignar M. Karunanidhi has urged the Centre and the Tamil Nadu government to voice their concern for the safety of the minority communities in the island nation.
In a statement on June 18, he said from the day of receiving the power of governance from the British, the majoritarian Sinhalese , instead of giving due protection to the minorities of Tamils, Muslims and Christians and carrying them along according to their constitutional norms, were only following the attitude of conflict with them.
It was because of this attitude of conflict of the Lankan regime that after the persecution of the minority ethnic Tamils over the years, the other minority group of Muslims, also Tamil speaking, were being targeted now.
In the clashes between the followers of Buddhism and Muslims in Myanmar in 2012, about 300 persons were killed. As a echo of this incident and following it violent incidents were occurring between these two sections in Sri Lanka also since 2012, Kalaignar noted.
Three persons were killed and nearly 100 people were injured in ethnic violence after a Buddhist majority nationalist group staged a rally in Muslim-dominated areas of Beruwala, Dharga Town and Aluthgama on the south-western coast of Sri Lanka on June 15. Moreover houses and shops belonging to Muslims and mosques were set on fire.
In the meanwhile, when Lanka’s Junior Investment Promotion Minister Faiser Mustapha, a Muslim, was trapped when he visited a college in Beruwela, a tourist town 60 km (35 miles) from the capital Colombo, where hundreds of Muslims had taken refuge from the violence.There were groups of people who did not allow the minister to move out of Jamia Naleemia (college), where hundreds of Muslims have come for safety. However, with the police help he came out after an hour. These attacks against Muslims were being carried out by Buddhists and government-supported groups.
While countries like the US had expressed concern over the riots that had left three persons dead and around 100 injured, the Centre and Tamil Nadu Government were yet to raise this issue even as various political parties and Muslim outfits were staging protests and getting arrested in the State, he said.
When following attacks on Tamils so far and completing genocide in Sri Lanka Muslims are also severely attacked, the Central and State governments here should come forward to raise voice for their protection, Kalaignar urged.
Attacks widespread: The legal and police system of the Sri Lankan State was indirectly aiding the Sinhala extremist mob to incite violence against Muslims in Aluthgama and Durgah-nagar in Kalutura district, Muslim reporters from Kalutara said on June 17. The shut-down of mobile communications and the curfew imposed by the Sri Lankan State also strengthened the hands of the Sinhala Buddhist extremist Bodu Bala Sena mobs that went amok on innocent Tamil-speaking Muslim villagers in Beruwala, Alutgama, Kotapitiya, Meeripenna and Adigarigoda. In the meantime, journalists, Muslim politicians and activists who rushed to Kalurara to witness the anti-Muslim violence were blocked at road barriers. Even those who attended the funeral of the three slain Muslim youth were also attacked June 16 evening by a Sinhala extremist mob.
Meanwhile, Asad Sally of the Islamic Solidarity Front said that the violence against Muslims spreads to several other parts of the island too. Today the Bodu Bala Sena (Buddhist Power Force) is going to create a problem in Badulla and going to organise a meeting in Mavanella of Kegalle district, he said. He had warned the government in advance about such a planned violence in Beruwela, Sally, who was a former deputy Mayor of Colombo, said.
Sally had forewarned Colombo’s authorities on allowing the kind of rallies organized by the BBS at Aluthgama. The Colombo government is therefore responsible for the violence, he said.
The government could have stopped the violence in 5 minutes had they really wanted to stop it, he said. “The curfew is only for the Muslims,” he said. This was a pre-planned and arranged affair of the government, Sally accused. Colombo wants to start another war with Muslims and Chritistans, he said.
The Sinhala extremist BBS has been waging a systematic campaign against the Tamil-speaking Muslims in Beruwala for a long time. The extremist organisation had called for a massive rally on 15th June.
As the arrangements were under way for the rally, a Buddhist monk and his driver traveling through Aluthgama on 13th June quarrelled with three Muslim youth around 2:00 p.m. The Buddhist monk was abusive to the Muslim youth for standing along the roadside. The Muslim youth also quarrelled with the monk and his driver for the insult. However, on his way back, the Buddhist monk filed a complaint with the Sri Lankan police that a Muslim mob had assaulted him. In turn, the SL police at Alutgama detained the three Muslim youth and the SL court remanded them for 14 days. At the same time, a rumour was spread by the extremist BBS to Sinhala mob that Muslims had attacked a monk at Durgah-nagar.
On 15th evening, after the mass gathering by the BBS at Alutgama, Sinhala Buddhist extremists were ordered to march towards Muslim villages. The extremists were chanting slogans against Muslims. The mob, armed with guns, swords and petrol bombs, was throwing stones at a mosque on their way to Muslim settlement in Dargah-nakar. Muslim villagers also responded by attacking the BBS-led extremists. While the attacks were taking place, the mobile communication remained cut in the entire area. Several houses were attacked by the mob.
At the same time another Sinahala extremist mob attacked the mosque at Adigarigoda on 15th June. Three Muslim youth, who were defending the Sinhala mob from attacking the mosque were shot and killed as the British-trained counter-insurgency commandos of the Sri Lankan Police deployed in Kalutara were watching the unfolding violence against the Muslims.
Even on June 16, when the SL Police claimed that they had brought the situation under control, there were attacks on three houses of Muslims at Welippana in the surroundings of Beruwala, Alutgama and Durgah-nagar. The Sri Lankan Police also imposed a curfew. While the Muslim men who had gathered at the mosques were unable to return to their families, the Sinhala mob entered the village attacking the families and the properties of the Muslims. Journalists who went to report the violence were blocked and refused entry citing curfew and security concerns by the SL police.
In a statement on June 18, he said from the day of receiving the power of governance from the British, the majoritarian Sinhalese , instead of giving due protection to the minorities of Tamils, Muslims and Christians and carrying them along according to their constitutional norms, were only following the attitude of conflict with them.
It was because of this attitude of conflict of the Lankan regime that after the persecution of the minority ethnic Tamils over the years, the other minority group of Muslims, also Tamil speaking, were being targeted now.
In the clashes between the followers of Buddhism and Muslims in Myanmar in 2012, about 300 persons were killed. As a echo of this incident and following it violent incidents were occurring between these two sections in Sri Lanka also since 2012, Kalaignar noted.
Three persons were killed and nearly 100 people were injured in ethnic violence after a Buddhist majority nationalist group staged a rally in Muslim-dominated areas of Beruwala, Dharga Town and Aluthgama on the south-western coast of Sri Lanka on June 15. Moreover houses and shops belonging to Muslims and mosques were set on fire.
In the meanwhile, when Lanka’s Junior Investment Promotion Minister Faiser Mustapha, a Muslim, was trapped when he visited a college in Beruwela, a tourist town 60 km (35 miles) from the capital Colombo, where hundreds of Muslims had taken refuge from the violence.There were groups of people who did not allow the minister to move out of Jamia Naleemia (college), where hundreds of Muslims have come for safety. However, with the police help he came out after an hour. These attacks against Muslims were being carried out by Buddhists and government-supported groups.
While countries like the US had expressed concern over the riots that had left three persons dead and around 100 injured, the Centre and Tamil Nadu Government were yet to raise this issue even as various political parties and Muslim outfits were staging protests and getting arrested in the State, he said.
When following attacks on Tamils so far and completing genocide in Sri Lanka Muslims are also severely attacked, the Central and State governments here should come forward to raise voice for their protection, Kalaignar urged.
Attacks widespread: The legal and police system of the Sri Lankan State was indirectly aiding the Sinhala extremist mob to incite violence against Muslims in Aluthgama and Durgah-nagar in Kalutura district, Muslim reporters from Kalutara said on June 17. The shut-down of mobile communications and the curfew imposed by the Sri Lankan State also strengthened the hands of the Sinhala Buddhist extremist Bodu Bala Sena mobs that went amok on innocent Tamil-speaking Muslim villagers in Beruwala, Alutgama, Kotapitiya, Meeripenna and Adigarigoda. In the meantime, journalists, Muslim politicians and activists who rushed to Kalurara to witness the anti-Muslim violence were blocked at road barriers. Even those who attended the funeral of the three slain Muslim youth were also attacked June 16 evening by a Sinhala extremist mob.
Meanwhile, Asad Sally of the Islamic Solidarity Front said that the violence against Muslims spreads to several other parts of the island too. Today the Bodu Bala Sena (Buddhist Power Force) is going to create a problem in Badulla and going to organise a meeting in Mavanella of Kegalle district, he said. He had warned the government in advance about such a planned violence in Beruwela, Sally, who was a former deputy Mayor of Colombo, said.
Sally had forewarned Colombo’s authorities on allowing the kind of rallies organized by the BBS at Aluthgama. The Colombo government is therefore responsible for the violence, he said.
The government could have stopped the violence in 5 minutes had they really wanted to stop it, he said. “The curfew is only for the Muslims,” he said. This was a pre-planned and arranged affair of the government, Sally accused. Colombo wants to start another war with Muslims and Chritistans, he said.
The Sinhala extremist BBS has been waging a systematic campaign against the Tamil-speaking Muslims in Beruwala for a long time. The extremist organisation had called for a massive rally on 15th June.
As the arrangements were under way for the rally, a Buddhist monk and his driver traveling through Aluthgama on 13th June quarrelled with three Muslim youth around 2:00 p.m. The Buddhist monk was abusive to the Muslim youth for standing along the roadside. The Muslim youth also quarrelled with the monk and his driver for the insult. However, on his way back, the Buddhist monk filed a complaint with the Sri Lankan police that a Muslim mob had assaulted him. In turn, the SL police at Alutgama detained the three Muslim youth and the SL court remanded them for 14 days. At the same time, a rumour was spread by the extremist BBS to Sinhala mob that Muslims had attacked a monk at Durgah-nagar.
On 15th evening, after the mass gathering by the BBS at Alutgama, Sinhala Buddhist extremists were ordered to march towards Muslim villages. The extremists were chanting slogans against Muslims. The mob, armed with guns, swords and petrol bombs, was throwing stones at a mosque on their way to Muslim settlement in Dargah-nakar. Muslim villagers also responded by attacking the BBS-led extremists. While the attacks were taking place, the mobile communication remained cut in the entire area. Several houses were attacked by the mob.
At the same time another Sinahala extremist mob attacked the mosque at Adigarigoda on 15th June. Three Muslim youth, who were defending the Sinhala mob from attacking the mosque were shot and killed as the British-trained counter-insurgency commandos of the Sri Lankan Police deployed in Kalutara were watching the unfolding violence against the Muslims.
Even on June 16, when the SL Police claimed that they had brought the situation under control, there were attacks on three houses of Muslims at Welippana in the surroundings of Beruwala, Alutgama and Durgah-nagar. The Sri Lankan Police also imposed a curfew. While the Muslim men who had gathered at the mosques were unable to return to their families, the Sinhala mob entered the village attacking the families and the properties of the Muslims. Journalists who went to report the violence were blocked and refused entry citing curfew and security concerns by the SL police.
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