It fell on IGP N.K. Illangakoon, at a recent press conference to uncharacteristically speak out against those that sought to create social disharmony and incite violence on ethno religious grounds. The maintenance and promotion of social harmony is generally a task of a country’s political leaders. However when the political leaders fail, managing and dealing with the ensuring violence and social upheaval becomes the responsibility of the security forces, particularly the law enforcement agencies and accordingly such agencies are sensitive to situations that exacerbate conflicts and promote violence.

Sinhala Buddhist push back on the hate campaign

The Ceylon Chamber of Commerce last week, brokered a compromise on the issue of the Hallal logo on products. This compromise, was given its blessing by leading members of the Maha Sanga, who made no bones about their opposition to a hate campaign against other the practice and adherents of other faiths. In fact Buddhism and Buddhist leaders have been historically very tolerant and indeed accommodative of other faiths and practices. Read the rest of this entry »

CR (Bulla) De Silva, former Royal rugby captain, attorney general and loyal friend of President Rajapakse, must indeed be a puzzled man, even as a whole host of senior officials from the Attorney General’s department, which he headed in the not too distant past, take wing to Geneva, to play defense, where the US is sponsoring a resolution in the UNHRC, regarding Sri Lanka and its post war reconciliation track record.

CR De Silva, chaired and together mostly with other distinguished former Sri Lankan State officials, were commissioned by President Mahinda Rajapakse to report on lessons learnt from and reconciliation (LLRC) after the end of Sri Lanka’s bitterly polarizing and devastating three decades long ethnic conflict. This appointment came after the UN Secretary General appointed his own panel of experts to advise him on similar matters on Sri Lanka. After over a year of country wide public hearings, written representation and field visits to the former conflict areas, the LLRC issued its final report and recommendations. Read the rest of this entry »