Sri Lanka President vows to prevent ethnic tensions and protect all communities

Sri Lankan President Anura Kumara Dissanayake says one of the Government’s main objectives is to create a society where no community feels insecure or fearful because of its cultural identity.

The President said it is also important to understand the nature of politically driven ethnic tensions and internal conflicts and to prevent the recurrence of ethnic conflict in the country.

He made these remarks during a meeting with representatives of the All Ceylon Jamiyyathul Ulama (ACJU) at the Presidential Secretariat in Colombo this morning (September 10).

President Dissanayake said no ethnic conflict had been allowed to arise in the country during the past two years.

He also said that as the present Government has not faced allegations relating to fraud, corruption or the rule of law, certain groups are now making allegations against it based on ethnic issues.

Representatives of the All Ceylon Jamiyyathul Ulama commended the programmes being carried out by the Government for the development of the country and its people and said they would extend their fullest support.

They particularly praised the national “A Nation United” (Ratama Ekata) programme aimed at protecting the younger generation from drugs, as well as the Government’s programme to combat corruption.

The representatives also expressed appreciation for maintaining a situation free of ethnic conflict during the past two years, while highlighting the need to take action against hate speech spread through social media.

President Dissanayake said the Government fully recognises the right of people in a democratic society to question the actions and decisions of those in power.

However, he stressed that no one has the right to make statements that create hatred between ethnic communities or spread hatred in society.

The ACJU representatives also drew the President’s attention to propaganda targeting the Muslim community before and after the Easter Sunday attacks.

They said justice should be delivered to the victims of the attacks and that information about those involved should be revealed. They also expressed their support for efforts in this regard.

Several issues relating to Islamic religious texts and education were also brought to the President’s attention.

Discussions were held on resolving these issues in cooperation with the security forces and on facilitating access to such texts through a technological mechanism.

The meeting also focused on the importance of ensuring proper representation of all communities, including the Muslim community, in national-level governing institutions such as the Constitutional Council.

President Dissanayake said the Government’s objective is to ensure proper representation for all communities whenever such appointments are made.

Several other issues recently faced by the Muslim community were also raised during the meeting.

The President said the Government expects to resolve such matters by properly understanding situations where ethnic or religious tensions could arise over technical or administrative issues, including matters relating to uniforms.

General Secretary of the All Ceylon Jamiyyathul Ulama Ash-Sheikh Akram Nooramith, Acting President Ash-Sheikh M.J. Abdul Haliq, Treasurer Ash-Sheikh M.K. Abdur Rahman and Vice Presidents Ash-Sheikh H. Omar Deen and Ash-Sheikh M.H.M. Burhan were among those who attended the meeting.

Deputy Minister of Religious and Cultural Affairs Muneer Mulaffer and President’s Senior Additional Secretary Roshan Gamage were also present.