Q10.

What in your view should be the response of the Government regarding the activities and demands of groups like the Bodu Bala Sena? (Maximum of 750 characters) Jail them under the prevention of terrorism provisions Just implement law and order very strictly, a lot of things will fall into place. Independent judiciary and police are a must. imprison these disgusting people Govt should not allow anyone to take law into their hands like some they are the unofficial police of the country, etc.. They should completely disassociate themselves from and publicly condemn the actions and emergence of such groups. They should illegalize hate speech and take into custody anyone (clergy or lay person) who breaks the law. Due process should be followed and punishment meted out accordingly. Government should not entertain any racist groups. The government should crackdown on hate groups by introducing stronger legislation targeting these extremists. It's not just enough to put a muzzle on them but they need to be put to sleep. The Govt. (although this will never happen) should condemn the acts of BBS and call to abolish the group. There is no such ethnicity such as Sinhalese Buddhists and no one, not any minority group is harming Buddhism in any way. This is a multicultural country and we should be united. Simply the law must be enforced for everyone. They should issue directives/statements condemning them and actually follow through by imprisoning them The President, senior officials and government Ministers should publicly condemn and disassociate themselves from the actions and views of the Bodu Bala Sena. They should support and expedite just legal responses to violence and intimidation by such groups. Given the strength of the ruling coalition, it should leverage its political capital to marginalise such extremist groups and counter their divisive agenda. Promotion of tolerance between and within religious groups must be safeguarded legally and promoted by govt policy. Endorse and emphasize the fact that Sri Lanka is a multi-ethnic and multi-religious country. Be intolerant of extremist movements such as BBS. Improve inter-communal awareness through education from the primary levels. Genuinely work towards national reconciliation without taking majoritarian lines. It is not wise to base one's politics on majority lines since today's majority can be a minority in the long run. The government should ban such groups and help spread activities and messages that support racial and religious harmony Ban them. Identify them as a Hate group, promoting racism and intolerance. Vasu has the right idea. There's a clear hidden agenda behind all these activities. And it's so unfortunate to see that a democratically elected government has witnessing all this without taking proper actions. Allow them to speak, but arrest everyone engaging in hate-speech, illegal raids, vigilantism, and any other illegal activity. Govt should deal with them according to the law. It is openly racist and fascistic and govt. should stop supporting it by some politicians and govt. organizations (police, court etc.) Promote and practice anti-racism, make sure anyone who disrupts this is made accountable. Ensure that minorities are protected. A categorical condemnation of their rhetoric and activities and the full use of the law of the land to deal with them To be logical and not irrational When we see how thugs were deployed by the government to prevent legitimate protests against the impeachment of the Chief Justice, and the fact that the police are watching while the Bodu Bala Sena attack private property (as seen in the video in this survey), we can only conclude that the government is supporting these groups. Ideally, the government should take stern legal action and even arrest members of these groups for the damage they have caused to private property. Given what has been happening in Sri

Lanka the last few years, that is, unfortunately too much to hope for. Unless the people (in large numbers) stand up for what is right, this will only get worse. The BBS and Sinhala Ravaya's crimes against minorities must be condemned and the guilty parties need to be held accountable for their actions. While the groups themselves cannot be stopped, their crimes have to be addressed, and the government needs to recognize them as the extremist groups they are. I think government is supporting BBS. Now they are collecting Sinhala majoritys votes for next election. The government should ignore these groups and ban them if they do not give up their campaign of hate. Ban BBS should arrest them for instigating racial violence and should prosecute in a court of law The government must act against incitement to racial violence. However it will not because it is in it, up to the hilt. The government should taken very stern action not to propagate such groups and their action. HATE SPEECH is allowed in most of the civilized countries. Those who are involved in such racist actions and speeches should be legally dealt with. But when the government is sponsoring such events, giving all possible support, having assured security to organisations like BBS, having forced the victimised to enter into an amicable settlement, what can we expect. The only thing to expect is something what happened to the Jews in Germany, something like what is happening in Myanmar today. They should take it very seriously and send a clear message that they will not allow or tolerate it. However this seems unlikely. The Government must abide by the Constitution of this country and uphold the Fundamental rights of its citizens. There will be no fundamentalist groups like the BBS if this is done. There are plenty of provisions under the penal code to take actions against such culprits. Let's see the Government doing that! Ban them. Banning them is like taking them seriously and giving them more power. Ignorance is the bliss! Government should not allow anything illegal to take place. Extremist views are publicly expressed by various groups such as TNA, BBS and few others. Government should bring all these parties to a discussion table and try to enlighten them on ground realities. If they do not listen legal action should be taken for violating peace and harmony in the society. Racism and religious intolerance should be banned in our society. All people in Sri Lanka are Sri Lankans irrespective of their race and they should be free to follow any religion according to their belief. No one should be allowed to insult any one based on race or religion. Conversion from one religion to another by force or by improper influencing should be banned. Inciting racism should be identified as a criminal offense. Groups such as BBS and Sinhala Ravaya must be banned. Most importantly, it will benefit the country immensely, if the Government at long last promotes a common Sri Lankan national identity - and not one along communal/religious lines as successive governments have done so far. The government should prosecute those peddling racial hatred. The BBS and Sinhala Ravaya etc. should be prosecuted to the full extent of the law and any government employees found to be promoting the aims and objects of these organizations should be prosecuted to the full extent of the law. The government should issue a full and unequivocal statement condemning the BBS and any others espousing the same sentiments and prosecute any who choose to persist in this line of action. The same way they dealt with the LTTE:) To curb racist groups such as BBS and avoid yet another ethnic conflict. Stop all anti racial movements in Sri Lanka. We do not need another war. Try to appease the Buddhists (we really do have genuine issues) without letting opportunistic forces like the BBS and SR become our only choice Ensure that the rule of law is maintained at all times. Condemn them vocally, bring perpetrators to justice, disassociate itself from it, ban BBS, immediately resort to measures aimed at building national unity for the benefit of those who have been misled (but not necessarily involved directly in) BBS violence

Government must take in to account how extremist groups like BBS tarnish the image of Buddhism. The government should treat these groups as seditious and ban them from being operated. They should warn the BBS in not taking these issues to the extreme but to settle in peace Do not tolerate their racist demands. The government should take a zero tolerance stance against any hate group. They should make a public statement to this effect. They should also enable the police etc to take legal action against such groups. Movements such as these should be considered criminal. enforce the rule of law Extremist groups such as the BBS or any other (of any religion) should be monitored closely by the government. However, asking the government to impose a ban may push such groups underground and may have severe detrimental effects. The government should control in such a way that instigating racial hatred is considered as a crime but in such a way that freedom of speech is nor curtailed The government should speak out strongly to indicate their support for tolerance and non-violence. Be it BBS or any other racist/fundamentalist group, they got. Should always ensure that the law of the land is carried out to its full effect. No one is to be exempted from justice and all forms of such illegal activity/vigilantism can be curbed if and only if the rule of law is upheld. Aside from the virus of intolerance, the lack of the rule of law leads to the rise of such groups and activities. Instead of preaching platitudes and empty words 'warning' extremists they should actually enforce the laws which were enforced unfairly sometimes Because the BBS took the Law and order situation under their control, the party should be banned. They should shut them down immediately, before they drag us into another civil war. Justice should be applied equally for every Sri Lankan citizen. Group should be banned - For instances they misquote the religious texts and tell lies ad half truths convincingly. The government does not just mean just the Rajapaksa brothers. It is naive to think that they are the only actors we have to pressurize. The government is made up of multiple components and civil servants. It is time that they challenged the regime and the very systems they are part of that perpetuate this injustice. I think if there were multiple pressure groups within and outside the government holding the leadership accountable then the leaders will not think that they have the liberty to do as they please. We must first ask head of police to take responsibility for maintaining law and order and the judicial system to implement justice and government ministries to challenge the individuals who support these extremist groups from within. The BBS is encouraging racism. The government should ban the organisation and also ensure that all those who were involved in the mob attack as well as those who harass minorities be charged. The government should ban these organisations and arrest individuals and groups carrying out such activities. Government should also apologise to all affected parties and ensure such incidents do not arise ever again! They should disassociate from them and stop supporting majority rhetoric. The government should publically come out with statements that not just tolerate minorities, but celebrate them and celebrate diversity. They need to come into the 21st century. The govt must not endorse extremist views and those which propagate a culture of intimidation. It's the role of the govt to use legal and judicial curbs to put a stop to this ridiculous agenda. If its a question of vote bank politics, the govt needs to be ultimately held accountable. Publicly and continuously denounce and arrest all involved in violence and intimidation Open racist religious groups like this are poison to the country and should not be allowed to send their messages of hate and racism It is patently obvious that some elements of the state are directly instigating or giving credence to the hate speech promoted by the BBS and like groups. The government needs to unequivocally condemn these activities and take active steps to promote racial and religious tolerance and harmony.

The government needs to come out strongly and demonstrate in words and deeds that these actions are not tolerated. But when the government and those associated with the government engage in similar actions to the BBS, then it is not surprising they do not. The state has created the conditions for BBS to arise and flourish. Maldives Afghanistan and Malaysia were Buddhist countries but Muslims took over: time to keep our religion intact When the head of state says this is a multi-ethnic country and the powerful brother civil servant openly associates with an organisation calling for other races to be not part of the country and enjoy rights, what more can you expect? The Def Sec should apologize to the country and need to be held responsible for misusing his position Apply the law. Violators must be arrested and prosecuted. Strong condemnation with strict enforcement of existing laws against anyone inciting racial or communal divisions or violence. They should speak against these groups, not align themselves in any way to these groups and let the general public know that the messages that these groups are spreading only serves to spread more hatred between ethnic, religious and caste groups within and out of the country. They should be discouraged at all cost and all violent activities should be dealt with under the law. They could also be punished under laws that make inciting racial and religious disharmony. Unless the government set the trend to stop these activities, very soon Sri Lanka will become another Somalia where the majority groups attack, loot and kill minority groups (mostly to acquire the properties of the minorities!) and rule by weapons creating absolute anarchy and a violent culture. The government should explicitly disassociate themselves from the BBS agenda, not merely make token references to unity and peace. They should not be encouraged. When they break the law they should be dealt with the full force of the police and legal system. Nip them in the bud. I see no difference between them and the LTTE. These groups should also be dealt with accordingly. A government should be impartial and should make an effort to keep the harmony in the country. BBS is publicly abusing other religions which cannot be acceptable by anyone. Government should take immediate action to stop the 'hate' campaign before it gets worse Support Implement the LLRC recommendation and bring legislation against those who make hate speech. Neither government or civil society can have any other option THE GOVT SHOULD ALLOW THE LAW KEEPING AUTHORITES TO FUNCTION INDEPENDANTLY. no to racism of any type Enforce disciplinary action that is absolute (disallowing anyone to be above the law) and which would serve the purpose of implementation - i.e. deterring further attacks and discouraging even harbouring similar sentiment. Madness why put up with it They should be very strong. Muslim are not a threat for Sri Lanka, it's the opposite they are the traders who made the economy greater than before. The State which benefit from this prosperity should support Muslim leaders and figures and ban extremist groups. The criminal justice process should bring to justice all perpetrators of crimes (incitement of hatred, violence, assault & battery, destruction of property, defamation etc. Additionally, the BBS leadership must be openly challenged by the state and the general public (Muslims in particular) must be reassured in word and deed that the state will protect them from any form of discrimination and abuse. Ban the extremist from making public appearance and not tolerate any racism. Ban them

there is no response, they are out of touch with reality if they think there will be no consequences and the Muslims will simply accept this racism The GoSL should take a stand and NOT tolerate groups like the BBS if they are actually sincere about promoting peace and harmony in this country. Sri Lanka is a multi-religious country and it has NEVER EVER been only Sinhala Buddhist and therefore it is the duty of the GoSL to tell its people that they will not tolerate religious extremism and acts of violence instigated by the BBS and the BBS should be banned. They should have a zero tolerance policy regarding religious extremist/hate groups such as BBS, Sinhala Ravaya. Open condemnation A Government truly concerned with the welfare of its citizens would have moved swiftly to neutralize any element threatening the peace and stability of a Nation. Public condemnation, enforced Law and Order and encouragement of open communication would be a wonderful way to begin. Government should bring relevant parties to the table and facilitate to sort out the differences amicably. Any party not complying should be handled according to the law. stress religious neutrality of the state Ban Facebook They should condemn racism and make public announcement and crack down on people spreading racism. They should also ban extreme groups and stop spreading of this hatred. The government should criticise and curb the authoritarian rule by these groups and not be a mere spectator and let them ruin the country. The actions of these groups are completely against the teachings of Buddhism and a disgrace for saffron-robed monks to be using Buddhism to carry out their racist attack on minorities. If there are issues with minorities, then that should be dealt with in a civil manner, not shout abuse and use derogatory terms and destroy lives and livelihoods for selfish aims!!! Not satisfactory Should be shown in action rather than words that their intolerance of Sri Lankans who are not Sinhala Buddhists is not acceptable. They should strengthen the knowledge and education of people starting with the true teachings of Buddhism and it should come also from the Buddhist clergy. Invoke PTA against them and jail them. Ban BBS Government should ban BBS and media should not cover their meetings There is a fine line that the government needs to walk here. We can't ask for freedom of expression on one hand and react badly when people express viewpoints that are against all reason. Post-war Germany made Nazism illegal - does that mean Germany is a state that completely tolerates freedom of expression? These are the kind of debates we ought to be having - not who is a threat to whose religion, and who is conspiring to bring Sri Lanka to its knees. I hope one day we have a government that welcomes such debate. I won't be holding my breath. I think the GOSL is unconcerned and probably thinks it is a blessing in disguise. (That is if they are not already behind these organizations) one law no matter the freaking religion is The government should ban the BBS. And all other groups as such. Also specially should remove the facebook pages spreading anti Muslim content disgracing not only Islam and Muslims but all other minorities. Asgiriya Monks etc (the lead monks) should play a part in forming other monks to mind their business or rather mind their own religion which is non violence. The government should assert that it is for all the people and will uphold their rights. it should put a full stop to all these activities of BBS Ban them just like they did with the LTTE. BBS and the likes of them are not representing the Sinhala Buddhists or their cause (whatever it is) by any means. Their strategy and attitude in trying to preserve Buddhism at the stake of other peoples rights is appalling and should not be tolerated at all.

Govt should ban the BBS ad per law of the land and the peoples involved in anti-minority hatred. Sri lanka is a secular republic The Government should take strict measures to eradicate acts of terrorism which this clearly is. Monks should be monks - and Buddhism is a non violent religion. No form of racism should be tolerated in a country which has already been devastated by an ethnic war. Anyone causing terror are terrorists. We are still rebuilding from the 30 year old conflict, all our actions should be to reconcile and not the other way round. The Government should be unbiased and look after the minorities of this country and treat each and everyone equally. We all have rights as citizens of this country and the Government should and must ensure that each and every one of us can live in harmony and peaceably with one another. Ban the group. State as the supreme authority of the country, must be accountable to its' people. Any extremist groups, be they from majority or minority, should not be motivated or facilitated for their short-sighted acts or demands by the state. Government should take concrete actions to stop such inward-looking extremist groups and safeguard the security and rights of all ethnic groups in Sri Lanka. We won the war and have given the second chance to rebuild the country with national unity; we want to build Sri Lankan values, not sinhala-buddhists, tamil-hindu or muslim-islamists. Race/religion based mind set of our people should be removed and all of us are looking at the states' response hoping the state would take concrete action on this matter. Should look at each action in its own merit I believe majority of the country is happy with the action regarding Halal. Halal is a form of discrimination if you ask me Simply put, the govt should put a stop to this whole drama by taking legal action against extremist groups like the BBS and also prevent the Media from promoting the acts of these groups as well as those leading/involved. In addition to responsive action, they need to take preventive measures as well, including positive actions like forming/supporting peace-keeping groups, platforms, mechanisms and citizens. Use the Media and other resources available to spread the message of Peace and Co-existence. Not enough to say 'NO' to something without encouraging what is desired. Bodu bala Sena needs enlightenment, I.e. they need to learn Buddhas way and not pretend someone they are not. Govt should give a clear reply by taking immediate steps to eliminate such groups and proving that they care. After all these groups are not doing justice to Buddhism. The Government's stance so far is absolutely disappointing. As a nation going through a 30 year war, the leadership does not seem to have any sensitivity towards what is happening. The Government just cannot let certain parties act as hooligans. We had the JVP in the past and the LTTE. Are we now trying to create another monster? There should be a dialogue, BBS should be listened to, but decisions should not be taken without regard to the rights of all concerned. They should do every conceivable thing in their power to protect the destruction of Buddhism. A sincere effort in this direction alone will suffice to sets the wheels in motion to solve all the problems. Mind you, I am a Muslim saying this. To warn them that actions and behaviours that are likely to incite religious hate will not be tolerated and then hold them criminally accountable for any incitement. First of all it is important to understand what kind of an organization is BBS. Their actions are similar to a terrorist group. Furthering Buddhism does not mean you need to intimidate other faiths. That is what terrorist organizations do. Besides about 90% of the activities BBS does are illegal, such as invading Law College, arresting people, etc. Those should be done by the police not by a group claiming to be a religious organization. The statements BBS have been making in public rallies clearly incite religious hatred. Therefore the government should take an impartial stand and review BBS agenda and activities and ban it as a terrorist organization. I am sure majority Buddhist would agree with this. Simply not allow for groups preaching intolerance to exist

Immediate action should be taken to ban such extremist groups such as the BBS etc and ensure that the country does not face the reality of another war which is unnecessary The Government should take firm and decisive steps to control these groups and prevent them getting out of hand. All miscreants (irrespective of their contacts and political backing) should be arrested, i.e. the law treating everyone alike, as promised by the President and IGP. They should condemn the group and distance themselves as much as possible from them, asserting that the BBS does not represent majority Buddhist opinion and enabling moderate Buddhist monks to speak out against the BBS. Those who break the law should be arrested and brought to justice. The police must be asked to uphold the law, irrespective of whether law-breakers are wearing saffron robes or not. Permission for rallies should be granted based on whether content of speeches are within legal limits. Halal Certification should be allowed on packaging. All communities should have an equal right to live in peace in Sri Lanka. The government should state this explicitly and explicitly shun the Bodu Bala Sena. The Government, being the leadership of this nation should be able to see that justice is done. They cannot be partial or biased but see that people have their freedom of personal choice as long as they do not offend another person/ party/ group and that it doesn't hurt anyone. Ignorance on this whole issue is not acceptable. They should take a stand and in all that they do see that they promote peace and harmony. We have seen the consequences of war. We have learnt a lesson- a lesson not too pleasant and we should not repeat the same mistake! Silence on this uprisal is only a nod for it to continue. The problem is growing and it is better late than never! Follow the example set by Singapore - NO Comparative religion. All offenders should be arrested. It should be a transparent law - where all offenders are given maximum sentences. That should quell the power of the racist few. Introduce legislation banning hate speech. Take strong measures against BBS and similar groups. Take unequivocal steps to further strengthen state as multi-ethnic and publicly condemn groups like BBS. Support BBS They should be disbanded. arrest those monks but this will never happen The executive arm should arrest and present to courts the perpetrators. The Judiciary should apply the law in an unbiased manner. There should be no interference from the executive on the Judiciary. zero tolerance - hate speech and speech that encourages violence against anyone should be dealt with severely Educate the common Buddhists and ban these extremist racist groups. Government should explain them of the possible repercussions of their activities and warn them not to exceed the limits. Law should take its course. It should be aggressively stamped out The government should genuinely stand up for the minorities and condemn acts of violence. In an ideal setting, the BBS should not be given any space to do anything! The government needs to take a stand and be for the people. Which is probably unrealistic because they have never really been for the people anyway :(? (whether, Tamil, Sinhala, Muslim or any other community: they have always been for themselves alone) since the government is behind BBS I dont think they will do anything against BBS BBS cannot unilaterally usurp the power, authority and duties of the Government; instead they should be working with the Government and all other concerned groups to address any concerns and issues they may have. The government must convene a cabinet meeting to discuss the current crisis. If allowed to continue as is, more nationalist groups would join the fray unleashing even more hatred and violence. The government MUST take all measures to prevent BBS and their ilk from spreading their twisted ideas. Stop giving it oxygen to suit the Government's own purposes To reiterate that SL is a multi ethnic, multi religious country and it is not a Sinhala Buddhist country by Constitution. The Maha Nayaka Theros should also intervene together with the Cardinal to make people

understand that religious intolerance will lead to violence. Silence on the part of the govt Leadership seems like an endorsement which will bring SL to disrepute in the eyes of the world. There is also a risk of all migrant workers in Islamic countries being sent back and bilateral relations being damaged between SL and Islamic countries. However, this signified the beginning of the end of Buddhism as Buddha predicted. Though some grievances of the Sinhalese Buddhists are legitimate and they have been tolerant for so long, BBS acts and sounds too extremist. Government should not back up, mitigate extremist activities and punish those who act violently against innocent people and commit offences such as attacking, destroying properties etc. Should not encourage them in any way. Must take appropriate legal action when they violate the law; Express its opposition to any action that encourages racism. The government has a duty to protect all citizens of this country. Any group promoting extremism or violence, irrespective of their race or religion must should not be tolerated and if these groups break the law or engage in acts of vandalism, violence or instigate communal clashes, they should be arrested and made an example of. Give them an outlet but monitor them closely and take action if they incite violence or racial tension with their words and deeds. Un-stitch the sewed mouths of the nations leaders and put a stop to this disgraceful hatred against minorities. Whats the point of defeating one war to elevate the chance of another? If you piss the Taliban then it will be the end of S.L and the beginning of a war you will never defeat. Wake Up ... Religious Tolerance and acceptance of all races and creeds! Arrest them when they break the law The government should come down hard on any activities that spread discord among the different ethnic groups. Those who don't learn from the past are condemned to repeat it. The government must not encourage these groups. In fact, should stop the activities of ANY extremist group. Government is just trying to please the majority in the country as they know very well that they are unpopular already In one sentence Ban Them. Do these people really represent the peace loving religion of Buddha? Is this the Sri Lankan Buddhism the government wants to adopt? They should be banned as inciting racism and eroding tolerance Considering they're passing legislation to take action against groups or individuals that deviate from the original teachings of the 4 major religions, they should take action against a group that clearly is promoting actions contrary to Buddhist beliefs, while maintaining a clear connection and appeal to Buddhist elements. They should clearly distance themselves from the group and prosecute and punish actions that incite ethnic hatred. Prohibit racist speech and have legislation which has teeth in dealing with such speech as well as action. Mobilize the police. Their inaction is truly disgraceful. The GOSL should clamp down on these groups immediately according to the law Our Government SHOULD disagree to all their immature unfair demands & remand or punish them for the acts of violence they have caused during the past few weeks. To be a government which is virtuous and true, which stands for the rights of all races & religions that make our country a diversely united Sri Lanka & above all be A government of ALL the people, by ALL the people, for ALL the people." Unfortunately its only a shadow of thought, in a tainted world, that embraces war and ignores love. It should completely disassociate itself with them. Holding discussions with them, providing them with financial or other resources and praising them suggests strongly that the Government complies with all of their actions. The Government should also see to it that the law is implemented when such groups break the law. stop encouraging and start treating all same They seem to not care. Its a welcome distraction for the government.

To make it clear that hate mongering in any form would not be allowed within the country - by any community or persons against any community or persons. This is vital to maintain peace in this multi-ethnic, multi-racial country. Should have crushed them at the butt before it came to this level. What Srimavo did in early 70s for Seguvera movement is appropriate for these types of hooligans? Stop them, full stop. It's politics. No "how it should" work well in that. An immediate recognition of their activities as an extremist (even terrorist?) group existing solely on the politics of hatred and divisiveness. The govt. needs to swiftly condemn their actions and call for an end to their activities, making immediate apologies to the parties affected by their silence on the matter thus far. To make sure no publicity is given to organisations such as this and to make sure racially bias views are not tolerated in business schools etc Stupid question - as the BBS is only doing what the government wants. should not tolerate violence Legislate and enforce. In the meantime educate youth and actively promote cross-community initiatives. This government should be ousted; it is pure absurdity to expect this government to take action against these groups. They should call for an interreligious meeting and make a proper public statement regarding tolerance and the real teachings of Buddhism. The government should ban BBS and such groups that spread anti-democratic sentiments. All citizens should have the right to follow whatever the religion they chose. BBS is a cancer that eats into the minds of people and creates anti-social sentiments. Therefore the Government should ban such groups and install/pass laws to protect human rights so that everyone has equal rights. BBS should not be allowed to disturb the development process of the country and spread their selfish sentiments. The government must openly condemn the hate speech and violent antics of such groups. It is their duty as elected representatives of the population to safeguard the rights of ALL communities. Instead, what we are seeing is that the state is going out of its way to appease racists! Pass anti-hate speech legislation, arrest groups and try them in open court As LLRC recommendation 9.283 suggests deterrent laws must be enacted and enforced, thereby banning groups like the BBS. What we need to ask the government is what has happened to the rule of law in the country and everyone is a citizen of this country and they all have civic rights and do not take law unto their own hand allowing to tarnish the normalcy of the country. Ban such extremists groups and promote co-existence among all Sri Lankans. The government's job is to enforce the law uniformly to ensure justice - nothing more, nothing less. A 'socialist, democratic, republic' (though that in itself is an almost impossible existence) need not be swayed by the sentiments of a particular ethno-religious group. Having said that, many liberal democracies in the world are swayed by one or the other religious sentiment and we can't expect our low life ruling elite to be any different. However, our case should have added impetus to resist demands of groups like this because of the very recent violent experience the country has gone through. Therefore at least part of the leadership should find voice to resist any form of racist action that lays the foundation for more bloodshed in this country. This will take the country to disaster. People who want a war will support this and enjoy; including the people in the top. But people will suffer. So development of the country cannot be seen in this century. Government should implement the law and order. But top guy is supporting; how the law and order will be? Finally their story also will be the same though they don't understand. I think that the Bodu Bala Sena is an extreme group and the government needs to take action. Having a group like this strengthens the government but they need to find a way to balance out the democracy that

has voted them in! It's a tragic state of affairs to make this all ok! They need to be sat down and a discussion needs to be done. The govt should stamp it out. But can they, when they created it. Be very very strict enforcing current law. For example in attack on Fashion bug. Government Leaders should not be seen supporting them Clamp down The government should ensure that the rule of law is upheld. No government that cares about its people should encourage racist groups. They should be banned They should have nipped it at the bud. it is however still not too late to take actions against the BBS actions before it turns out to a worse Eelam war than we were before The government is incompetent if groups like BBS can run an establishment. To the extent that BBS breaks the law they should be prosecuted the fullest extent of the law. BBS should be allowed freedom of speech it is also fine for them to not like Muslims, but they should be allowed to break the law. The scene where a moron was dressed like a monk and attacking private property, only to be watched by more morons in uniform was a disgrace to the police, country, the government and ultimately the president Because of the existence of such groups, there is no equality of freedom among all religions. I think the responsibility of the government should be to ensure equality and fairness whoever you are. The government should halt such extreme groups and create an atmosphere of freedom for any religion / nationality to practice what they believe We have been facing so many incidents very recently, above clip is not the only thing happened in Sri Lanka so far. What Im doubt is why police been silent, why can't they take an action? Even president. We had a war for 30 years, seems like we are heading towards to another war again. Sri Lanka is a multination country, we do have so many religions and we have to respect for each and every religion, that's what every religion teaches us!!! The government should be far more vocal than they currently are regarding the protection of minority rights and emphasize the need to respect the pluralistic composition of our society. They have to indicate through action and word a non tolerance for racism. Government must act as per constitution. Any one has the right to practise their religion. if there is conflict should try to solve by dialogue and not encourage hatred should mot not allow anybody to take the law in hand Address the root of the problem. People are unhappy for a reason, and that reason shouldn't be hard to find if the government is honest about the situation. The root of the problem is not a sudden feeling of insecurity among Sinhala Buddhists. That is just the cover. The government must be seen to protect the rights of ALL its people that mean listening to both sides while UPHOLDING the law. Discussion and argument are necessary, they are how a society evolves, but instigation to violence and insular thinking must be slowly rooted out and be shown to be a cave-mans way of handling things. So far, the government has not lead its people by example. They should not listen to the views of any group that resorts to violence to assert them. Not ban this group, but don`t let them to play as dogs. Learn from our mistakes. Monitor closely and act immediately when they incite violence and lawlessness Condemn it and stop giving them public space. I don't expect anything concrete will be done by the government, because it is supported by a section of the government led by Defence Secretary, Gotabhaya Rajapaksa. It is a case of the fence gracing the crops! Sri Lanka is a multicultural and multiracial nation and always has been. By allowing groups like the BBS to continue with their extremist endeavours, we are negating the very thing that makes Sri Lanka... well, Sri Lanka. It is disappointing and disheartening to see such things being supported at home. The purpose of a government is to protect the civic rights of EVERYONE in its rule, and not just the majority. Minority groups Muslims in this case - should be given the freedom to practice their religion, wear hijabs and mark their

products as Halal if they wish. The government should be intolerant of anything that attempts to divide the country and threaten minority groups, and therefore, should discontinue the efforts of the BBS. Sadly, it is about division and distraction through encouragement of bias, fear, ignorance and racism. Those who benefit the most are the people in places of power and most to lose (often, financial). Therefore, I am not at all surprised that this situation will escalate to the point where innocent civilians will have to sacrifice their sense of safety, dignity and identity ... and in the long run, the Nation will suffer greatly when dealing with all aspects of International relations -- both in funding, support, employment, resources, etc. Double standard. they should be banned Government is encouraging and abetting the racist activities of BBS by not enforcing law and order; and diverting the public from its utter failure and corruption. Myanmar is an indicator and BBS might be following Myanmar. Looks like some hidden hand is all-out to INSULT and DISGRACE Lord Buddha. Sorry state of affairs. please stop them and save Sri Lanka from another drawback Since the rule of law had been abused by the government, various racist groups which have the same thinking like the government would be favoured and their activities covertly encouraged. JHU, W.W's thinking is similar to BBS. Government should stamp out these groups and get back to civilised Rule. If not the country would be classed as Paraya state and disgracing all communities living in the Island. Enforce the Rule of Law. Prevent attacks, arrest attackers and produce them before a judge and jail the leaders. The government should investigate the reasons behind formation of such groups and promote an environment of religious harmony by engaging religious leaders to discussions and providing solutions to any reasonable grievances of all religious groups. At the same time the minorities should understand that Sri Lanka is predominantly a Buddhist country and trying to force Buddhist change their culture and social attitudes to suit theirs (minorities) is an impossible task. Ban & legal action only the police has the authority to investigate as such all of these groups should be banned Name them as a banned organisation. Publicly state that they are spreading hate. Jail those who run, fund the group. They should react strongly against them, declaring them illegal. There should be a general warning to the populace that the mistakes of the previous conflict risk repeating unless voices of moderation and tolerance are encouraged in Sri Lanka. These organisations should be reminded about the hypocrisy of their message and the dangerous parallels with other nationalist movements. They should reassure the multi religious stance of Sri Lanka, and not be biased to either group. However they should prohibit and send a strong message against acts that are based on discriminatory racial and religious grounds. More importantly violence towards achieving a cause should be eradicated and discouraged by the government. Especially after Sri Lanka has seen a 30 year old civil war that has affected the economy, development and peaceful living of this island. Cater to the voice of democracy/majority tolerance for free speech and a strengthening of security for Buddhists and Muslims, just in case Ban BBS or take necessary legal actions against them Expect the implementation of the Rule of Law Independently. First of all, education. Government should enlighten the people on the need for mutual accommodation and understanding. Intolerance has no place in any region, or faith. Second, and most, important, a there should be clear message from the Government that no arm or official of the government will ever be associated with such groups.

Publicly condone and take legal action. Sort legal means or form an objective non partial committee to address the issues if any racial issues claimed are actually found true. With fair representation from all ethnic/religious groups. They should ban the organisation give knowledge to people about true Buddhism even in rural parts blindly following others should be stopped and BBS should be eradicated and prevented from occurring again They should be banned disrobed and jailed! Government must get rid of their triumphalism attitude and make the restoration of law and order, and justice a priority. They must lead by example - practise tolerance and uphold justice and educate people. Government should not associate or align with extremist or violent groups - they must distant themselves from such organisations. Ban all groups that incite racism Should ban the BBS and similar. And the government must endorse that Sri Lanka is a secular pluralistic country. Government should make it clear that they will not be tolerated. Government must immediately take necessary actions required for eradicating the threat of fascists groups such as BBS and Sinhala Ravaya and to prevent any possibility of another Black July incident in future.. The government should step in and ban hate groups, and the perpetrators of racial based violence should be punished in accordance to their crimes. encourage racial harmony, suppress hatred and prevent and prosecute that which is illegal Enforce law and publicly denounce their activities GOSL should publicly denounce and disassociate themselves from such groups and have a special inquiry into the hate campaigns carried out, and take necessary actions against such groups while spreading policies of multiculturalism. Ban the groups Implementing the existing law and order to the letter and spirit. There should be a statement made at the highest level that religious and ethnic tolerance and mutual respect for all communities should be maintained at all times. They should be rounded up for a quick trial and sentencing. Remember how the Nazis started. Should clamp down BBS activities using existing legal provisions and control politicians and bureaucrats in favour of BBS. The chauvinistic and other religious groups too should be brought under some control. Formulate laws to stop any religious group behaving in this manner. Publicly and clearly denounce their hate speech and demands. Enforce punitive sentences for criminal activities which risk communal harmony. All racist groups should be banned and severely dealt with. Like in Singapore, if we are looking for progress in social and economic spheres, they should leave religion and ethnicity out of government patronage. Government should strongly condemn those activities and ensure proper action is taken against them whenever they break the law. ban such groups It is a creation from the government to divert the attention of the poor and the ignorant public. Every time they face some trouble they let out similar stunts to hide the faults and misdeeds. Government should not interfere with religious things. Government should be secular... It should Talk to them, but do not pander to them, as they are doing now Government should appoint an Independent commission to find the truths behind these activities. I think it'll help to find the root cause and people. Government should band like this groups and try to take a legal action as soon as possible.

This is a creation of the government to divert the attention of the public. Now the cost of living is going up. Just to keep the people engaged on these dirty works they forget the true situation. government should send out a strong message indicating and emphasising that it will not support in any way any form of racism, as it is against the very concept of tolerance and humanity and would definitely be an impediment to the development and growth of Sri Lanka as a whole nation and therefore should be curtailed and nipped at the bud. The government should take active action to combat such consequences and not be just a passive bystander. if the head of state issues are stern warning not tolerating religious hatred it would be stopped, but when they them self are protecting these groups it s shameful, lessons havent been learned, The govt has to take strict measures to stop them from taking the law into their hands BBS spell more trouble for Sri Lanka's already fragile peace. The government must condemn in no uncertain words the ideology of this ultra racist group and nip it in the bud. But will it? Actually the Rajapaksa government, siblings and family need this group for their own survival. I would like to know why the Muslim Ministers in the govt haven't objected or resigned, if they haven't, and then there is nothing more than can be expected from this government. Ban them. They are spreading hate and violence. Uphold the law of the land in an unbiased manner. Take action against the ring leaders based on evidence. Take action to ban and prevent such rabble rousing and racist incitement. Any extremist group should not be allowed to carry out unlawful activities and their unjust demands should not be given into. arrest BBS Ban the group. Take legal action against members of the group that engage in racist and other "criminal" activities. Commitment towards discouraging such groups ought to come from the highest level of Government. The Government's actions in this regard need to be seen as credible. Nip in the bud and if necessary ban the BBS The Government should consistently state the importance of maintaining peace in a multi-religious society stress on 'multi' - and denounce the demands and activities of such groups openly, whenever they pose a threat to harmony and the safety of vulnerable communities. The Government should also demonstrate that any form of racism - hate speech, violence, mobs, etc - will not be condoned by the authorities and ensure stricter punishments for those who engage in these activities. And most importantly, the state education authorities should especially look into any form of discrimination or hate speech, mild or strong, happening in schools and universities across the country. Condemn them unequivocally and charge them and prosecute them with the full force of the law. The Government should intervene and stop any acts of racism. We have just finished one war, let's not start another. Control by iron fist policy. These groups should not be entertained at all. Anyone, including priests of any denomination, should be arrested for interfering with anyone else because of their religious beliefs. It makes our government sound imbecilic, and by implications all Buddhists here imbecilic, to allow violence of any kind in this country Ensure that they have no special privileges, and that the normal law of the land applies to all matters pertaining to them. Take legal action as should be taken against any person/group of people who exercise violence and intimidation towards others in this country. Statements and actions should also be made to indicate disapproval of BBS They should ban such groups The Government needs to take a stronger stance against intolerant activities. Coming out and speaking for minorities and their importance, and punishing the monks who have contributed to hate would be a start.

The govt should put an end to this once and for all. They must understand that by giving in they are fuelling hate and racism that could end our barely 4 year peace. There are many other implications such as Economy downfall and sanctions from the West. All of these could cripple this country and make us a pariah state such as Libya or Iran. They're doing so well with the international aid and investment. If SL is seen as unstable none of it will come and the govt goons will slowly lose out on their "earnings" President should openly tell BBS to stop criminal activities and Discipline his petty minded brother Behave responsibly in the interests of their electorate. Permanently and publicly shut the known hate groups down. Assure Sri Lankans by words and deeds that all minorities have and equitable stake in the country. Freedom of speech must be always protected even if it's racist. But all criminal activity should be punished as per country's laws. Apart from that only hope is that the racists are in the minority. hate speech should not be tolerated The Government of SL should ban such Groups and as it is a Democratic Country, it should give Equal rights to all its Citizens (Be it Buddhists, Muslims, Tamils, Christians and all others). shouldn't be tolerated and should be dealt with swiftly before things really get out of hand Arrest and convict them for acts proven to be illegal. As for demands it isn't clear what they are. Arguing for Sinhala Buddhist hegemony is rather pass. arrest and punish them In a democratic country, it is the parliament that should resolve this. It is a pity that we don't have a senate. They are expressing many valid arguments like adverse effects to the Buddhist and Buddhist culture in north and east provinces and Halal business. Those arguments should be considered since many have ignored some issues of Sinhala Buddhists. But, it should be avoided that organizations like BBS going over general law and order of the country. If they do so, they should be punished. Though, the Sinhala Buddhists are the majority of the country, they also had to face some issues. Government should not forget that. Pass anti discriminatory laws and ban all racist groups government should be secular Ban and take action on those financing be it national or international funders. Hatred speeches should be banned and they should not be allowed to hold public gatherings. In short any organization which plays the religion, ethnicity or race card to promote any cause should be treated as a criminal offence regardless of the purity of the aim. The President needs to make a public statement, but if he does, he stands igniting a campaign against himself. Regardless, he still needs to make a public statement. They should be banned Ban BBS and the govt should be neutral. Should not allow a BLACK JULY in my Motherland. Investigate immediately any illegal acts and bring their offenders to justice - Give clear instructions to Police to make arrests or prevent escalation of violence, ensure actual enforcement of law with actual sentences without settlements where and when required. 2. Upon decisions ruled by judicial bodies, the government must publicly condemn such acts of violence or calls for hate by such groups.3. Sanction these groups by dissolving them or prohibiting their existence. 4. Reiterate publicly and frequently equality of all Sri Lankan citizens regardless of their ethnicities or religions. 5. Publicize the criminal/illegal aspects of such activities and demands and inform Sri Lankans of what they risk if they support such groups. Sri Lanka is heading towards GENOCIDE. First they killed the Tamils no one said anything. Now the Muslims. Hope we wake up before it is Burghers and Malays next. The government should learn a lesson from 1983 and be proactive. Label BBS as an extreme organization and ban it right now. The activities should be condemned and those inciting violence should be dealt with as per the law The government should response in a diplomatic way, Monks are Monks they have a religion role in the society, the government should make decision concerning those group who create other problems after the war. they should use the laws against inciting hatred between communities to arrest leaders of BBS

There should be laws against inciting religious and racial hatred with punitive fines and prison sentences for those who break them. It should be made easy for those who suffer damage to recover their costs from those convicted of such offences. Police powers should be strengthened so that police officers can act without fear of punishment by their political masters. Immediately issue a strong warning against promoting such activities. Dissociate themselves completely from BBS and other racist organisations. Promote messages of unity, patience and peace in newspapers and other media. Encourage and promote unity amongst Sinhalese, Tamils and Muslims by promoting multi faith programmes and INCREASE MEDIA ATTENTION to these positive forces. President needs to issue a strong warning now, before it's too late-make sure those inciting hate are brought to justice and ensure the voice of moderate Buddhists and Muslims are heard and spread not a group of ignorant fundamentalists. government party is behind BBs While being conscious of ones rights to freedom of speech, allowing such hateful rhetoric to continue unabated is unacceptable. The wounds post war is still fresh and there has been no real and honest attempt to unite the people. The lack of interest from the authorities to resolve this hate campaign is despicable. The BBS are a hate group and should not be allowed to operate, make public appearance/spectacles. If I was to throw a brick through a window I would be arrested, makes no sense why the authorities would stand and watch the odious anti social behaviour of these individuals. Arrest them, fine them, they are disturbing the peace! I see the history is repeating itself, if the government do not step in, we will see another 1980s. Its about time to act and ban HATE organisations. Banish and arrest They should be completely banned for inciting religious hatred and violence ,those goons should be brought to books and dealt severely Racism will never be tolerated in Sri Lanka. Maybe an appropriate stance would be somewhat similar to what Premadasa took with the JVP The GOSL should condemn such actions and assert its commitment to respecting/upholding the rights of all groups Simple as this.Chain your dogs. Or else someone will chain both the dogs and the owner soon or later. stern action against a group creating a public disturbance Disregard of priests or civilians who violate law and order of the country should be punished accordingly Sri Lanka should be declared a Multi Religious & Multi Racial country As if government listens what we say... Create an environment for discussion whilst ensuring the safety of all equally and coming up with a resolution acceptable to all Take action strongly against them Government should take a strong and clear stance that these activities will not be tolerated and ended immediately! They should immediately put a stop to these blatant acts of violence. However this Government have been going in these paths and I see no action on these human rights violations. It should not provide a platform for these activities and high profile figures should not express any support for it. The police should be used to punish individual incidents as criminal acts. Ban them Wipe them out The government is behind the entire fiasco and they're just asking for an excuse to target minorities. o make clear to the police that the BBS should not be considered above the love b) publicly articulate support for the rights of minorities in Sri Lanka c) communicate clearly that tolerance and nonviolence are the true expressions of Buddhism Do the right thing. It's common sense, not rocket science. Act human.

There is a long way to go. BBS is only a symptom of a deeply entrenched problem of impunity and racism against minorities. I feel ordinary citizens should speak out against these acts. But we have to also accept that its not isolated, but has many years of laying the ground for this to happen. I have reached a sense of apathy that when the state itself is not promoting multi culturalism and pluralism and equality for minorities how I we believe they would take any legitimate action again extremist groups? BBS is at one end of the spectrum but the whole governance system is moving towards that way. Apply fare evaluation system and bring peace to this issue. Any organization could function as democratically. No one can break the constituted law in the country. Any organization express heated and cursed language to other community it would lead to break dignity of that community and lead to violence. The government has to bring legislations to block these types of actions to any organization. First upon its the mistake of the Muslim community mainly their elected leaders are selfish and collaborated with the extremist Sinhalese governments and they never consider the plight of the Tamils. Now they come to understand the danger they are facing from the Sinhalese extremist mainly by Mahinda and his brothers. Muslims are reaping the harvest of their sins. BBS should slow down and democratically handle the issues without being extreme and honouring the rights/beliefs of each religion Democracy. Listening to the democratic majority and safeguarding expectation of Majority of the country. Ultimately that is what called Democracy right? We can give the same freedom USA and UK has given to Muslims and Tamils no problem. They are the Kings of democracy. apply laws of the land The Government should take a neutral stance and not sway in their decisions/judgments. Government must support BBS which is striving to protect Sinhalese and Buddhists. If BBS did not emerged at this moment Sri Lanka will be like Saudi, Iran, Iraq, Pakistan, Bangladesh, become an entire Muslim country very soon. To make it clear to them that harmony between all ethnic groups are a priority in the country and there will be zero tolerance for any activity or group that conducts actions or speaks against another group. The government should arrest all those who engage in violence immediately and prevent protests/demonstrations that promote hatred against any ethnic or religious group. It should also make clear that Sri Lanka is a multi-cultural society that protects the rights of all groups by promoting a national campaign via all government institutions, including the public education system. It should ensure that the police acts promptly and pro-actively to curtail the activities of these fascist groups. All civil society groups should unite to hold a big rally in Colombo to protest hate-mongering and send a message to the government that condoning such groups and their activities is not acceptable. Unequivocally state that they are acting against the laws and interest of the nation, and that groups continuing to do so will face prosecution Stop BBS 1. Direct condemnation of racist groups 2. Legal procedures against those breaking the law 3. Public education 4. Enactment of anti-discrimination policies Should not tolerate. GOSL should take immediate measures to crack down these extreme movements. GOSL could do this easily, but in reality its very unfortunate that the government is not doing anything that would restrict these extreme elements. Seems they've given a free hand to carry out their activities. strongly and clearly dissociate itself and present an alternative pluralist vision Prosecute and ban such groups for inciting racial hatred and instruct its kept media to desist from giving publicity to any of their illegal activities People who are a threat to the peace should be dealt with and prevented from continuing with such acts. The general public needs to take preventive action. ban them

Take stern action or some action and dot let this continue to start another war, dont encourage these goons this is how simple things become worst, get all these monks and talk to them cause they are the ones who are starting this all up, last week our friends temple has sent a letter requesting them to come for a meeting to educate them about BBS and why they shouldnt associate with Muslims n shop in their shops etc.. These things should stop because this is where it all starts. The government should make it clear that there is no place in Sri Lanka for hate speech and racism. However there is not much hope the gosl will do that because they are all a bunch of racist A##holes! Should take legal action for creating an environment of hate and an environment where people tend to disrespect religions other than their own. They should ban these types of extremists who are invading the current peace of the country Make it clear they don't support such groups and make them accountable to the law. ban them As a Buddhist, I feel that BBS is not practicing what Lord Buddha preached. It is ok to have a group to inform the people the correct path to live and safeguard the religion. But the BBS is way out of line and is doing more harm to Buddhism. They MUST put a stop to it immediately! My view is that groups such as these regardless of what religious affiliation they represent should be prevented from activities that we have seen. They are prevent the country from moving forward and promote disharmony! Should be ignored by the Government. The major temples and Chief Priests are not involved in this. If you take notice, it is as the Government is considering and condoning this kind of activity. Government must reiterate that this is not a Buddhist way of doing things. Priests should not be part of this kind of activity. Strict action should be taken against these perpetrators. These racist and fundamentalist groups should be banned to save the minorities The Buddhist majority are enjoying much privilege just because this is a Buddhist country. The government should make this known to these groups and should be firm with the right of others to live in their own homeland. A STRONG RESPONSE CONDEMNING THE BBS Any form of racism should be stopped Start a very serious and active anti-racism campaign/unit. And counter all racist actions the BBS does. Government should stop the stupid things what BBS is doing. BBS does not have any right to do such a things like this. Simple when we look at their statements regarding Muslims and Islam, all of them are fakes. so better ban or warn not to spread fakes among people Should disassociate with them completely and make sure no public or govt owned businesses get involved in them Take action against the group; promote the rights of minority communities; The government should first realize that these are a serious threat to the peace of this country. It should genuinely prosecute these anti-social elements to prove that it believes in justice. For that to happen we first need a government that believes in justice. Not enough Ban the organization Put an end to it immediately Freedom of speech is important, but it should not encourage fanaticism and racism, as this can spark violence and intolerance from the other side. The government should focus on equal rights, human rights, non discrimination and peace; and should promote this when ever and where ever possible at all times. Tough words against these groups and tough action (police/legal) to show true commitment to those words. Also, government must play a more active role in distancing itself from these groups.

SL is a multi religious country, as a government is been elected by all the communities, hence it is their responsibility to uphold the constitution and minority rights. The government should take action before another war begins. We dont want another war for three decades do we? The government shouldn't support them they should take action against them because the newfound peace we are living in is about to leave us. Take legal action to prevent further damage and stop backing these groups in any way. Call it unacceptable in a multicultural democracy. Should be banned, make it illegal, BBS an extremist group -bad for Sinhalese majority (bad PR) internationally Muslims will get sympathy for sure. (Please don't think we Sinhalese are equal to Jews or Sri LANKA IS EQUAL to Israel-you get my point?) SRI lank WILL FUTURE IS IN BLEAK. If there is no law in the land, its impossible to live in peace not only minority but in the future whole nation have suffered. Persuade them to give up acts of violence. Banning will make it stronger with more hard-line Buddhists joining. Get the leaders of the Buddhist chapters to persuade the BBS to see that tolerance is one of the key teachings of Lord Buddha. Arrest the people who publicly and privately involved such activities using government intelligence and security forces The government should nip in the bud by banning them before creating more racism The government should condemn these activities and take necessary action to bring the people to justice. While guaranteeing freedom of expression of individuals, attempts by groups such as Bodu Bala Sena to infringe others rights should be taken seriously, and be punished under existing laws Check who is behind this mischief & curtail their activities democratically. Before anything else, the government should first implement rule of law. Law has enough provisions to secure rights and freedoms of all communities and take action against racists, hate mongers and unruly mobs. Should not tolerate such extremist groups. They are actually acting against the principles of Buddhism. Should take strict actions to stop these groups Must implement strong measures against racial/religious intolerance. I'm not accepting most of the things done by BBS, but there should be a control on issuing halal or any other certificate, which govern by National policy. Issuing halal certificate even for Mens dress shirt is totally unacceptable as well as unnecessary. But without harming for their cultural beleivements, proper practise of issuing halal or any other thing was reasonable and should have to be done. Because we have to respect each religion and their beleives.Because SL is a democratic republican country. This government is fascist and should be removed. It creates itself the situation. What is happening IS simply the actual government policy. They use these groups! Look on the web for the characteristics of fascism. All of them are actually happening in Sri Lanka. The government wants a pure Sinhala country. Ban them, arrest them, disrobe the rogue monks These are extreme groups, focused on hatred, just ban them, arrest activists, stop free publicity, enforce the law as it is written not as it interpreted.... Government may not allow and encourage bodubalasena activities The government must stop this violent movement at once and uphold the values of Lord Buddha It is run by the government in order to keep the public attention away from all the other issues the country is facing due to the faults of the government. So I won't expect any actions from the government No idea. but government must ban BBS Complete ban on any extremist groups or demands by any religion or other group The government should immediately ban their hate campaigns and officially announce that it will not tolerate racism in Sri Lanka. The government needs to be strict with these groups and warn them that their campaigns will not be tolerated. They should not tolerate the hate campaigns carried out by the Bodu Bala Sena. Swift action should be taken to stop it.

The government needs to step up and protect the rights of all citizens. Ban the BBS Group and give necessary punishments to those involved Government should stop supporting them financially. The Government should take immediate action to prevent groups like the BBS from being given a space in which to air such discriminatory sentiments. Should take all necessary actions to stop and hold them accountable. I think your organization should address some other issues before this, because today we live in a peaceful country thanks to the present Govt. Yet some fractions still try to put us in to the previous situation. Therefore you should protest against Jayalalitha and Tamilnadu group which is very much like BBS if you think BBS in that manner. Should be rejected and if they violate any laws they should be prosecuted and punished if convicted The government should recognize BBS as an extremist group, and ban their activities. Basically, ban any religious/ethnicity hating groups from ever appearing in society for the future. Using violence and hatred as a distraction or for fun is never funny. If our country is making any group of people unsafe- then we have a problem. Lack of good governance and rampant corruption has made this an opportunity to divert the attention of the people from real issues. First of all the government should respect the rule of law. These unruly elements should have been nipped in the bud. The response of the government should have been to make available suitable mechanism to teach REAL BUDDHISM to these so called protectors of Buddhism. The government should publicly announce its stand on the promotion and protection of minority rights and take measures to bring perpetrators of violence to justice. The Police, judiciary and the Human Rights Commission should be strengthened in order to ensure independent suitable action is taken against anyone bringing a bad name to the country. To ban such groups misleading mankind with hatred and spreading what is not written in the books of Buddhism & the Al Quran or any other religion.Sinhalease, Tamils, Muslims...we are one nation & lets be to it. Ban them immediately stop the war mongering, and stop the seeming complicity of this racist groups action, as this unpatriotic Taliban like behaviour is not welcome. To condemn and disassociate itself from the groups, step up efforts at creating a more tolerant society, assuage all groups involved and to ensure no further acts take place. The classification of such incidents as terrorism is crucial to the maintenance of law and order! Ban the BBS and any other such groups that have racist agendas. Arrest and prosecute fully anyone caught inciting communal/racial violence The Government should aim to protect minority groups from targeted discrimination and attacks as well as possible The government is to safeguard the rights of all -not one group. A government must govern. It has a duty to maintain law and order. If it has a will it can end this without any delay. The government should be firm and act without fear or favour. Nobody should be allowed to break the law. Act now, otherwise anarchy will set in. A government which ignores it prime duty will not exist for long. This is history. No group with any racial/ religious connotation should be given publicity. They should ban these groups and meter out relevant punishment if they continue their activities. Punish The government must put a stop to it because demagoguery is overrated. Being indifferent, passive and worse supporting the likes of BBS will only worsen their stance on a democratic nation which is fast evaporating. In order to build a sustainable peace, bigotry of any level should not be tolerated or accepted. The government is completely aware of what is happening. They willingly chose to ignore it. Publicly condemn them and use its obvious influence over them to defuse the situation. These are but puppets on a string.

The sectary of defence should stop attending BBS events openly cos it gives the wrong message to the general public that the Government is behind all the racist acts. And if the government of Sri Lanka is truly is not behind the racist acts happening in the present then the President Mahinda Rajapakshe should only stop giving statements on this matter but act against it. Because now it seems like the government is playing double side game. Government should take necessary action to prevent the situation shameful Gov depend on these activities for their survival. They. will support these and I am sure they are. behind it Government Should Apply the Law of the Land to arrest those involved in disrupting communal and religious harmony. It should be treated as criminal acts. Government Should Ask BBS to Care about the Sins of Buddhist not the Muslims!! I have no idea. I'm just against nationalism and racism. equality to all Without knowing the exact demands it is hard to say. But if, as an organization, they are causing harm to others they should be prosecuted under the same law as everyone else. Unfortunately by not condemning the acts the government is reinforcing them. We have a similar situation here in Germany; however the government condemns the acts and takes action against them although they do not ban the party. I think that SL should take the same action. The government should arrest them for inflicting racism They should intervene and stop this madness as we just ended a civil war and certainly don't need another like it. Ban them. Educate them & the public. Govt should rethink their policies The government should hold the perpetrators of religious hatred and racism responsible for the current issues, or step down if they are incapable of fostering a harmonious environment in a multi-cultural society. At the very least, the government should explicitly disassociate itself from BBS and point out that the group's agenda is not in line with the values of a pluralistic society. Fat chance, eh? The Government should denounce and disassociate from BBS and take legal action against breach of law and promoting communal and religious hatred They need to make a clear standing of where they stand with regard to such intolerant behaviour towards it own people. This is the starting of another extremist group which needs to be nipped in bud. Have a large public gathering where there is a representation from BBS, Government, Muslim leadership and a selected group of citizens airing out their opinions so that a space is facilitated for concerns. This may also be a good opportunity for the public to transform into a civic society that engages in the issues of the nations besides the election process. The same response as if a group was promoting anti-Buddhist propaganda... The government should condemn such movements inciting hate & violence & take strong action to stop such groups These demands & activities are a disgrace to the community living in this country. The Govt. should be putting maximum effort to put a stop to this with immediate effect. If the government has any regard for justice and fairplay, even if they do not understand the teachings of Buddha, should act immediately to stop the rot. They have to learn from the lessons of 1983 when the then government did exactly what this government is doing. May be they have an ulterior motive. Take SERIOUS action. We just finished one war. Do we really want to start another?! Also, this is not what religion is about. 99.99% of wars seem to start in the "name" of religion and I do not believe any religion teaches people to fight against each other. The Government needs to step in. Take strong action against them. The government should appoint one of its famous committees to investigate the allegations as well as activities of the BBS. These committee hearing should be public and all parties should have access give their views and opinions as well as investigate any allegations. Government enforce the law regarding all violent behaviour and disturbance of peace.

Treat the situation with the seriousness it deserves and not just have the police 'observe' while racist groups run riot TOTALLY PUT A STOP TO SUCH A RACIST MOVEMENT. I AM ASHAMED AS A Sinhala Buddhist OF WHAT "MY" PEOPLE ARE STOOPING TO. This is not Buddhism. The government need not intervene at this stage. We are a democracy and groups like BBS have the right to protest. The certain incidents are not to be associated with these groups it could be from extremists which are present in every community. The government should eventually pass the anti conversion law and protect Buddhist interests. The government approach is very appropriate now they are not fuelling anything and that what is needed now. They will never allow a 1983 repeat but they should not suppress movements like BBS. The Government needs to ban such hate groups to be seen has a responsible body which does not give into the views of this bloody racists. I feel that the government is not doing enough. The tolerance it is showing towards these groups further allows them to get more aggressive and get them to believe that what they are doing is right The Government should protect all religions. The BBS is usurping the Government by resorting to vigilante and mob tactics. The Government should not let the BBS do this. If there is any insult to Buddhism then the Government to should take action through legal and civilized means. Bring them under the law and take necessary action. It needs to ban these groups and take a stance against hate speech and racism Buddhism is too passive and tolerant of outside garbage. There have to be warriors to safeguard its rich message. Unfortunately these warriors are bad Buddhists. The government should not allow groups to take law in to their hands, and should ensure law and order is maintained. Trouble makers like those who attacked shops should be given severe punishment. The government should reinforce the fact that Sri Lanka should respect pluralism if we are to develop as a nation. As we already have multiple ethnic groups, who feel very strong about their identity. So we need a culture where we respect other beliefs and practices as much as ours. They should eradicate these groups and their activities Law enforcement needs to step up. The govt. needs to be stern about us being Sri Lankan, and not a particular race or religion, which they're currently not doing! Should ban BBS immediately, arrest BBS sectary Address their concerns, but in the correct manner. Don't give in for only their benefit but for benefit of all communities Shut the group down to prevent them from inciting ethnic violence should not let any group b targeted, no discrimination should b against anyone, not allow criminals go unpunished, get involved and solve problems without inciting hatred...we are all srilankans!!!!!!!! People are entitled to protest peacefully. The law of the land MUST be upheld. Arrest them for disturbing the peace and terrorism BBS should be banned government has a responsibility to protect all citizens of the country It doesn't matter what the response of the Government is. What matters is the response of the people. All the claims they brought were baseless. Halal is a consumer choice and taking a logo out havent made anything; only uneducated may think that English letters is allowed but Arabic letters which says only permitted is not allowed in a product that sold in the market. Another claim was there is a set of Muslim extremism in the country but to date havent proven with evidence and not a single arrest was made. All the atrocities such as attacking mosques, Muslim businesses and threatening the people wearing hijab as religious obligations were clear act of violence towards general public and against the freedom of religious choice. Governments silent towards these act are very clear that government is part and partial of this campaign. Government should uphold justice in the country which is very questionable

Government must prevent any group or individual from harassing and violating the rights of any other group or individual. In other words, simply enforce the rule of law! They are a fringe element that needs to be observed and contained. It is normal to see extreme views expressed in a democracy. This cannot be outlawed. Enforcement of the law must be swift and tough so that no other fascist organisation will rise again. The lacklustre attitude only contributes to these rouge elements dragging the country into the abyss of hell. The government should make clear that this form of behaviour is unacceptable and people who do so should be made responsible. It is a governments duty to make all people living in a country feel safe and secure and all communities should be given the right and freedom to express themselves, practice their religion in harmony. A country the fails to do so is a land where basic human rights are not followed. Government should protect all nationalities and put those people behind bars who disturb the peace in our country. If the government actually gave a damn about its people, and looking after the country it would address the main root causes of such extremism. Unfortunately, it is the Government itself that longs to keep the BBS going strong, a simple tactic of "divide, distract, DESTROY and rule". The mindless sheep that make up the majority of our people do not see the real problems of this country, the things we really should be worried about. The Rajapakse's by showing support for the BBS, and yes they have done so by not openly condemning it, are unleashing a devil they will not be able to tame. If there is a God who actually gives a damn about, bless our country from the ignorant mindless fucking idiots running this country to its end. Government has not done anything to stop these terrorist racist groups. Infact they seem to be supporting them. People get arrested for sending SMS on racial topics, but terrorist racist groups can threaten innocent people in public speeches. Bodu bala Sena only carries its operations against Halal and with any party whom are trying to destroy the historical monuments and trying to destroy Buddhism by attacking the Buddhist temples and attempting to destroy Buddhism in a secretive way, REGARDLESS OF THEIR RELIGION. Even if it was a Buddhist who attacked, then its a thing for BBS to stand against. So BBS is trying to protect the religion. It is never attempting to destroy Muslims. Its not about MUSLIMS. But to protect the religion and country from the cruel systems coming in to the country such as sharia law. Because if this was not stopped right now we will end up being just like Saudi Arabia. Again its not about innocent Muslims. but about the Muslims whom try to bring sharia Treat them the same way that we treated the tigers. They are terrorists and should be nipped in the bud before it is too late. The government should take steps to maintain social harmony by taking appropriate and impartial legal actions against group which create violence and social disharmony. further the government should ensure and the law and order is maintain in the country at all time and all level and ensure the safety and rights of every citizen is preserved without any racial discrimination. that the only way to bring about lasting peace and development to Sri Lanka No tolerance, treat them like any other radical terrorist group Engage them in a dialogue that values and promotes pluralism, interdependence and coexistence; debunk myths (non verifiable claims/fears) and shift the focus to evidence based debate. BBS clearly is not just expressing a view, they are acting violently. Violence, in most countries is a criminal act which should be punishable by law. On a technical note, I have believed Buddhism to be the true spirit of peace, and I cannot fathom how the BBS can make such claims in the name of Buddhism. Non violent expressions should not be banned. Those breaking the law and causing harm to property and people should be arrested and charged. Such groups should be banned and the Government must send strong message of disapproval Take necessary legal action when required. BBS should be given the right to promote their agenda PEACEFULLY since that's their freedom of expression BUT when they take a violent stance, the police should

step in and protect our citizens. The government choosing to acknowledge that there's even a problem just encourages BBS and their violence. Boycott them. The BBS clearly have no interest in protecting Buddhism, they are ruining it. The Defence Secretary's endorsement of the BBS just makes things worse. Is this the kind of government we want? And in any case, what kind of response could we expect when it is hinted that the Government might even be behind this hate-group. Hate has to stop, regarding minority rights or majority. This country is peaceful. I, as a citizen of the democratic, socialist, republic of Sri Lanka will do ALL I can to stop this hatred. I don't really know, what the government would do and expecting them to do something is futile, as hard as it is to say. PEACE. Mobilizing p0lice and giving full support to act according to the laws MUST WARN FIRST AND IF FURTHER TAKE NECESSARY ACTIONS ON THEM. Why should these even be supported? What good does it do? See Im neither a Muslim nor a Buddhist & even Im suffering! Lord Buddha never preached this? Why create problems when you got over 1 just a few years back? & better yet people still suffer because of it! I DO NOT WANT ANYMORE PROBLEMS IN MY LIFE THAN I ALREADY HAVE! Thank you! The government should not condone their activities and instead publicly condemn such groups and their activities. The government should ensure that all communities have the right and freedom to practise their religions. It should also ensure that the law is implemented against anyone who takes the law into their hands in the guise of protecting their religion and instigating interracial/ethnic tensions. It is important that the government acts fast and ensures that the country does not plunge back into the dark eras of ethnic unrest and war! Should take a lead in dismissing groups like this and instead encourage verbally and in action cross identity discussions, groups etc. Understand the root cause for such demands, and work on addressing reasons that keeps the momentum of such movements Re-teach these ignorant Monks their own religion and stop this before more trouble arises for no reason in Sri Lanka The government should publicly a) disassociate themselves from these groups b) condemn them and their actions c) ban them altogether. Intervention and rule of law must apply The government should ideally take immediate action to stem the thuggery that's in free fall right now before it gets absolutely out of control. Tell them that their place is in the houses of worship and their attempts to join politics are sad, pathetic and an outcry of what a narrow and sad life they have lead untenable If the interests of the majority are protected and if the majority is not feeling insecure then the groups like BBS and Sinhala ravaya wouldnt have a role to play in the society. If the government is elected by the majority and if the constitute stipulates its governments duty to protect and enrich Buddhism, I see BBS demands are in line with the constitution. strong action against these movements , While allowing them to exercise their freedom of expression, it should be ensured that violent activities are curtailed. It is better to express sentiments in words than via violent activities. It is not racism or religious extremism to express such sentiments. It is wrong to force religious rituals on the other religious groups and it should be voiced and it is a just cause. But boycotting businesses of other religious groups without a reason should not be tolerated. But trying to ignore just causes will only push those groups further towards so called extremism and more people will join them. So, government response should be curtailing violent activities while allowing expression and act as a mediator between parties involved.

Several claims made by this group have been refuted. Further there have been several unsubstantiated claims regarding the treatment of non-Muslims by Muslims. What else is required? Any organization that is a threat to peace should be banned. Period. Have to eliminate Bodu bala Sena, they are not acting like Buddhist The government should make a public statement disassociating its self with overt racism and it should ban BBS on the basis that it has 1. Failed to protect Buddhism but instead undermined it 2. Succeeded in rousing anti-Muslim violence and hate these mobs need to be tackled as criminal gangs, they should be infiltrated and prosecuted for hate crimes The government should dissociate itself from their activities and allow the law enforcement authorities to deal with them under the law They should enforce the law against any illegal or intimidatory acts, they should speak out against their actions and should offer firm assurances that members of all religions and ethnic groups will be protected equally and fully. Take action and emphasize the fact that Sri Lanka is a nation consisting of individuals of many different ethnicities and they all have rights and this aspect (multiculturalness) will not change! Implement the law of the land irrespective of whether its done by BBS or any other group. Utter waste government with irresponsible and politicizing the whole issue for the benefits.. a government is by the people, to the people and for the people so it should first look to the peace all over the country because that's what is important for people to live happily Serious punishment/jail time should be meted out to these groups A just government should lead by example. But where is such government ? BBS claiming to be the saviour of Buddhism is only destroying Buddhism. All what they do is not based on Buddhism. The government, by being silent on this issue just proves that it is supporting this group which openly promotes racism. Hooligans and thugs have just got a license on their hand to play folly against Muslims since they know that the law will not do anything to them. Therefore the government should openly be against the BBS and take severe action on those involved with it. People who engage in activities such stoning business establishments should be arrested and punished. The govt. should take a firm stand and put an end to this rabble rousing even at the cost of antagonising the extremists. They will definitely get the support of all the sane moderates of all races who are in the majority and also win the goodwill of the international community. We cannot afford to isolate ourselves at this time. The government has become the feeding mechanism for terrorist organizations such as BBS... It is sad to see that a government who should be accountable for the integrity and basic rights of everyone equally, being involved in funding/ terrorising minorities. And it is with sadness that I, as a Sri Lankan am beginning to realize the death of democracy and the onset of dictatorship. Remember that all dictators have very bad endings... Gadaffi and Mubarak are prime examples of this... and the same fate will be suffered by MR & Co. Why this is constantly reminds me of the pre Holocaust Germany? Government should not allow anyone to take law and order in their hands. Government must protect the rights of all religious and ethnic groups of this nation. Therefore the government must send a clear message to any group that has arisen to safeguard the interests of one group at the expense of all other groups. Government should ban this and other similar groups. The government must also show in action that it is there to protect the interests of all people groups. The constitution that categorically gives preference to Buddhism as the one and only religion of this country should be changed. The Government has the power to stop the BBS in its steps. They haven't. They should be stopped in the same way they stop students or anyone else they deem as disrupting the peace. The fact of the matter the government is using this BBS issue to cover up that our country is struggling. If the government was strong enough to end the civil war, they should publicly refute the BBS stance that Sri Lanka is only for Sinhala Buddhists. They should investigate and prosecute those involved in these acts, priests who are frauds, etc without concern for whether they are monks, politicians, etc. Simply put all they have to do is enforce the rule of law. Can't be too hard for such a heroic government.

They should step up and take action. Severe reprimands, proper court proceedings, and education should be the start. Perhaps international involvement with the Human Rights Commission, removal of power from those in charge of these groups, and continued education towards acceptance and understanding. The government should act carefully and concern the citizens of this country. There are many Buddhists against the BBS and they are for many reasons of going against the robe! The philosophy of Buddhism is totally different to what the BBS is urging for. Many Sri Lankan Buddhists in my generation "mid 20s" believe quite differently to these aspects of Buddhism. Our generation believes in no discrimination against sex, race or ethnicity. However, I believe the generation of our parents view these discrepancies quite differently. While they don't agree with the BBS, they believe the population of Muslims must not increase in their original population. Moreover, this idea was brought about because of many Muslims being unfair in many instance It should come down on such groups that incite racial/ethnic tensions and violence The government need to take a strong and decisive stance against this racism and publicly state that we will not tolerate this kind of thing in our country Put a stop to them. If they had the power to defeat LTTE, stopping a movement like BBS would only take a Phone Call. The question is they willing to do it? Do they see a voter base they can harness for the next election? Do they thrive on chaos? They should stop the priests from entering politics and interfering in to the practices of the religions. Government should protect Buddhism and rights of Buddhists in this country as the constitution itself mentions. So, government should carefully analyze what they (BBS) say and take proper action to safeguard Buddhism! The government has an obligation to protect all segments of society irrespective of caste and creed The government should act to stop all activities carried out by racist groups whether it is Buddhist, Muslim or any other religion or race related group. Sri Lanka should be working towards getting the country up and running properly after the 30 year war; not start preparing for another war. Government should ban BBS and ensure peace in the country. BBS has no right to disturb other religious people's rights. Every has the religious freedom. The government should protect all its citizens. regardless of race religion or ethnicity They should be considered and should be answered with fairly. Well we clearly know BBS is acting like mad even they are not following Buddhism they are just jealousy people they want to spoil the peace of my nation when tigers were here they need to get a support from Muslims now they want to kill Muslims what the hack thought they have government showing Arab countries that Muslims are happily live here and get support from all Arab countries but fact is now they start to disturb Muslims . Does BBS need another civil war that they want to lose the harmony between Sri Lanka my honourable president support for all these ?? BBS has already sent their written demand to the government. And the government should take action and make a statement about the demands and what they can do. Advise to be honest and do not tell lies in front of public. Make sure that government implies the law correctly when necessary Way too silent This is a Buddhist country and the government should protect Buddhism and support groups who try to save it. If other think it is wrong that is their fault. This is the law in all countries e.g. : Middle East. So it is correct the government should support BBS IN A POST-WAR PERIOD WHY ALLOW A SMALL MINORITY TO TARNISH A COUNTRY WHICH IS FLOURISHING. ACT ON THEIR WORDS OF HARMONY AND UNITY AND NOT ALLOW A MINORITY OF CRACKPOT BIGOTS TO DERAIL THIS COUNTRY ONCE AGAIN. The government should protect the rights of all the communities for a peaceful a pluralistic nation. The actions of extremist groups should be controlled by the state, by the prevailing silence by the government is

paving the way for such groups to thrive. Its a highly sensitive issue and we as a nation should preserve the peace we have achieved after three decades of ethnic conflict. Justice and equal treatment of all ethnic minorities. Extremism should never be tolerated. Ideally they should not tolerate such groups and do everything to protect the peace that prevails in the country. However as the BBS has the implicit backing of the Government, we can't really expect anything from them. BBS is expressing so much hate and convincing society towards violence yet there is no response from the government. The government should deal with it like it dealt with the LTTE as there is no good which will come out of the BBS. If the government is swift to take action to increase cost of living to manage budgets how much more importance should it give to curtail violence that could send this country back to the pit it once was in. We know how the 30 year old war in our country started with one groups determination to divide. We are veterans at war and we surely know the signs when we see it. The lack of any sort of action from the government is only a sign that it is sleeping with its eyes wide open. The government is supportive . It's a long term plan. Next in Christians for sure. Its; one religion, one flag , one language and one race.. No one should b treated differently just because the race that they r belong to. Government should take appropriate measures to safeguard the rights of Muslims of sl. otherwise it will b a start of another war! Government should never have allowed this group to go ahead in the first place. Though its not too late it has the power to stop this. It looks like governed is supporting such terrorist groups when it does nothing to eliminate it. Even the justice system is so corrupt that you don't see a future to Sri Lanka but only destruction. Government is answerable for not stopping or giving any authority to take necessary actions to those who are responsible. To implement the laws of Sri Lanka. In this case this means investigating and taking the relevant action against those involved in the attacks, those who instigated them, those who funded them, and those who publicly endorse them. They shout stop all violent actions and speeches that hurt other races or religions. If they don't heed to this request seriously Bodubala Sena and Ravaya should be made illegal and all funds taken over There should be a clear rejection of the ideas of these types of groups, with a vehemence similar to that being used to denounce the LTTE and pro-LTTE Diaspora They are playing a double game The government needs to take action against parties such as this. Sri Lanka is a multicultural country and everyone should be able to live without discrimination. Treat everyone equally and punish them be it laymen or robed monks. As far as they know they're going to get off things easily, they're going to continue. BBS is not a racist group so Government also must support BBS. They never stated to hurt or kill anyone. BBS talked about halal because it is a major convince to Sinhalese. AJCU gain vast amount of Sinhalese money by halal thing. it is the racism not BBS Simply put, be a government and control groups such as BBS that challenge the true meaning of being Sri Lankan. GoSL should stop them for tarnishing the image and teachings if Buddhism The government should publicly condemn groups such as Bodu Bala Sena for being hate groups. Ideally these kinds of groups have to be found and dealt with before they gain a firm political footing. Immediate crackdown and a statement made supporting the rights of minorities The government of any country is there to serve all the people of the country and not just the majority groups. Therefore the Sri Lankan government should deal with these types of groups in a strong, firm manner that shows their support for all people of this country regardless of their background or religion! Such groups should not be treated with kid gloves as that would imply they have more power than the government of this country. The government should take a stand against these groups- adopt a zero tolerence policy

The president and the government should make a strong statement against racism. Though the HE has made a speech recently, he never condemned the actions of the BBS, but went on to say that monks have fought in the past to protect Buddhism and they are right in what they do. The GOSL should follow the rule of law and prosecute anybody or any organisation spreading racism and hate. Zero tolerance approach to religious bullies A government is responsible for the welfare of all of its citizens irrespective of their race, religion, caste etc. For a government to be inactive against any group threatening the rights of its citizens is not only irresponsible but dangerous. Any group of people responsible for racist activities should be taken very seriously by the government and stopped by any means necessary. Openly condemn religious intolerance of any form The govt should take this the government should take this seriously and punish them punish the violators of the law. Nip it off the bud and should enforce the law irrespective of religion and status. Government should start a campaign to educate ignorant Sinhalese community not to fall prey for misleading objectives. Bodu Bala Sena has their own agendas it has come to light that they are getting donations from casinos, clubs and bars to not protest against them. It also could be a master plan by the government to win the next election by securing Buddhist votes. Divide and rule No point thinking about that. The government is not for equality. No one should be allowed to incite racial hatred; groups like BBS are projecting themselves as unofficial police, which cannot be tolerated if law and order is practised. The BBS should be given clear instructions any racial abuses will result in serious lawful consequences Ban the bodu bala Sena as a terrorist outfit. make everyone and treat everyone as equal citizens of Sri Lanka A moderate response considering all the parties, Sinhalese Muslims Hindus and Catholics ...The government should fight off ANY kind of extremist work weather its Buddhist extremist OR Muslim Extremists..Because as far as I know the current BUDDHIST EXTREMIST I A RESULT OF MUSLIM EXTREMIST ACTIONS!!!Buddhists are angry because of the face that Muslims put Halal on their food , destroying Buddhist shrines , Hurting Buddhist females and converting them to Muslim Ect..So there should be a decision that balances all the parties..Not only the Buddhist extremists .. Stick to the rule of law and constitution. Take steps to expedite national integration. Nip it in the bud. Act democratically and firmly. Ban all and any Religious groups getting involved in politics. Remove all extra privileges given to All Religious priests. This is a Democratic country. All citizens are equal, including priests. They are taking Mean Advantage. Keep them under control Put an end to the activities of BBS Take stern measures to punish offenders Government should ban all these Racist groups. Bring in legislation to prevent this type of discrimination and hate-mongering from being allowed to gain credence. They should first get rid of monks from parliament, and thereafter permanently ban the present BBS monks from being monks in future. They should stop their movement at the inception itself or else the government will have to lose friends who have supported them economically and in friendly terms The Govt supports these groups so what's the point of this question? Ban them Nothing needed. Ban BBS Strict punishments, fines to compensate for property and personal damages, and possibly jail time depending on severity of crimes. BBS must provide a public apology for words and actions

Protect freedom of expression but crack down on those engaging in violence/incitement/hate speech I support BBS if they are protecting rights of the majority, like Halal issue. At the same time I disagree with treating Muslims majority considering them as enemies of Sri Lanka. We all are under one flag and one country. But if any go beyond that and trying to change Sri Lanka to a Muslim country (halal country), that is insane and should be demolished such attempt. The only Sinhalese (or Sinhala Buddhist) country in the world SHOULD be remain as that. In general, Muslims are not happy in Muslims countries, therefore now they tend to convert non-Muslim (haram) countries to Muslim countries (halal). That is not tolerable The government should be in the middle position and find a solution. An elected govt by the people , of the people, for the people should act with responsibility which they have not been doing. The birth of the BBS is due to unjust governance by the powers to be. Any type of religious extremism should be banned. Their leaders should be thrown in jail. Government should take this matter seriously to bring peace to live every community and religion to follow their rights and not make violent with two communities . Who making violent in this country should be finished to never come again . Ban the BBS. Arrest all the culprits. Arrest the leaders if these groups who lie about other religions in public and sentence them for life. The foolish govt should resign out of shame for sponsoring terrorism. the majority members of the Govt is drowning in greed, they want their citizens to be fool as ever as that they can keep doing what they do always... they don't want to grow up, build this country, look at Dubai.. what an amazing place, look at S'pore, Japan, Thailand, all these Buddhists countries, how have their faired and built their countries... why cannot we be like one of those, as long as the people of a nation don't change themselves, how can a nation change...! If the govt wants its people to be civilized, they will go out there and do everything possible for this great intent, but they clearly don't want the public to be civilized, think out of the box, otherwise they could have easily stopped BBS at the early stages..! SL=Banana Rep They should stop extremist groups from extremist activities Nothing. No government formed and elected by Sinhalese Buddhists will ever be objective enough to stand up to erring clergy. Pointless question without a massive overhaul of Lankan society They should be banned for arousing religious hatred and promoting violence against non Buddhist faiths. Govt should maintain rule of law under any circumstances. The govt should ban and arrest any groups promoting racism n bigotry. Havent the Singhalese learnt anything from the last 30 years? Stop them They should be told that their actions are a catalyst to future disharmony. They are a bunch of citizens in robes and this should not enable them to take the law into their own hands. The government should first revert the police force from its presently pathetic state and resurrect it so that the long arm of the law is strengthened. Take their BBS opinion in to consideration and take action if any of this is true. But government need to stop the violence act of BBS. While the government shouldn't ban an organization, just because it produces hate speech, it should limit its activities (which are usually more clearly illegal than what they say). Obviously state patronage or the support of powerful state actors should not be afforded to such organizations. While we don't have free speech in the country, banning these people just for the things they say would be counter-productive. But definitely, prosecute them to the fullest extent of law for the illegal things they do. But I guess that's blinding myself to the reality of the current status quo. Arrest all those members of BBS who engage in hate speech and violence and take them to court and charge them for terrorism Keep calm, and end racism. they should not be encouraged

If the group violates any laws they and those who commit such violations should be prosecuted. At the same time their right to freedom of speech should also be respected and the allegations and grievances also should be addressed. Government should make sure equal rights for all religions. The Government should take action against hate mail and diffuse the racist elements without showing any support for groups like Bodu Bala. The BBS is forged on spreading false facts, the govt should question them as this is misleading, A lie said many times over will eventually be perceived as truth and the outcome the masses will be misled. If this country goes down again the most who will suffer will be the poor Sinhalese youth. Because they are 70% it's like taking drugs.. The real Sinhala leaders in the government are not doing good by the Sinhalese.. This is a Numbers driven govt. what happens if they see 100,000 people marching for peace representing all communities, guess this will override 2000 at BBS... The Govt must not tolerate any sort of racial profiling. Look into the matter seriously without bias. United we stand Divided we fall. We are all proud to be Sri Lankan regardless of our race. Thank you The Government should clearly take steps to disassociate itself from BBS, immediately arrest leaders of BBS, fine them heavily and introduce new laws that prevent any form of hate speech in the country. Bodu bala Sena is acting as if it's the unofficial government of this country and they have caused much damage to the peace of this country, if government is sincere about safe guarding the rights of its citizens it should at least give a warning towards these right wing ultra nationalists. Sadly the government while hindering freedom of expression especially when it comes to safe guarding minority rights is somewhat comfortably silent over vigilante groups such as BBS and Sinhala Ravaya. This is a clear indication that these organizations operate under state orders/protection. The government should prove otherwise by regulating hate groups such as BBS and not let them jeopardize the already fragile situation in the country. I suspect that this is a hidden agenda of Government if not they should stop this immediately y there are silent and Keeping Quiet regarding this Government should disarm BBS n all the RACIST ORGANISATIONS and BAN THEM for all the communities to live in peace and harmony in Sri Lanka The government should learn from its past mistakes and attempts to instigate racism and racist attacks should be appropriately and legally dealt with. Shut it down and punish them for acts of racism. Promote a national identity and talk about the importance of cultural and religious diversity that is required for this identity Government is not implementing rule of law Discourage such activities in public media and arrest the mob leaders. These are violations of basic human rights. Government should stand up to protect human rights of all people regardless of race or ethnicity. The Govt. should publicly disassociate themselves from the BBS, charge the BBS for their crimes, and make clear that their views are not those of the Govt. or people of SL. The government should look into this matter immediately and put a stop to these racists with hidden agendas. These are the real terrorists who are on the verge of destroying Buddhism one of the most peaceful religions in the world. Every country has their portion of extremists. While Sri Lanka never had these extremists groups out in public now they have started the dirty dancing. A government should take these acts seriously and respond to them in an intellectual manner. I don't believe government should start wiping them off but taking the power away of these extremists groups. Any aggressive act against BBS and others would look make their supporters feel defeated and violence could spark. Very simply should clearly say whether they support BBS or not. If they do not support one statement from the President can close the chapter. If the government does support BBS the Muslim community has to think about other strategies

It's very disappointing when the government is not taking actions just because of the fear of losing votes. It's all political. We saw how Hela Urumaya came to politics claiming the Buddhists rights and saw how they ended up eventually with every other subjects but Buddhism. On the government side they do see an opportunity to gain more votes either by creating a problem or by just replacing the J.H.U with B.B.S. Government should be stopping these kinds of activities. The government should be impartial and should not endorse nor should it ignore ANY racist, ethno-fascist acts done by groups such as the Bodu Bala Sena. The Sri Lankan Government must preserve the rights of minorities and its subjects. It should also hold impartial investigations and use the law against any person who disrupts the ethnic harmony in Sri Lanka. Making sure they don't promote extremism or mass racism against any minority in anyway. The government should not condone such activities. Criminals, no matter what race or religion they belong to must be brought to justice. The government shouldnt allow BBS to hold such campaigns and rallies that just fires up people in the rural area that have no clear knowledge. The people are being brainwashed including small children and young innocent monks. Muslims are also people, and one person may not be able to be patient at a moment. Thats where war will begin. No point typing all this, govt wont do anything. #IamASincereSriLankanMuslimFirstofAllAHuman Need to be controlled as soon as possible before going for another war the government should have a no tolerance policy to this kind of activity should take actions against them immediately Ban extremist groups Stop this immediately Regulate them It is good. This is a Buddhist country.. They also have some view(right or wrong) and it should be heard by the government. Then if there're any fair requests, government should take actions about them. In the mean time government should take serious actions about their terrorism and should be punished for their misbehaviours. Any government worthy of that name would distant itself from any links with any religion. It should be religiously neutral. Freedom of speech should be guaranteed, but any actions should be dealt with according to the law. Hence an unlawful attack (physical or in defamatory speech) should be persecuted. Disband BBS and like groups, Clampdown on their activities. The government to openly make a pronounced statement where they stand on this issue. The government should publicly condemn and monitor the group without infringing on their freedom of expression. Law should be enforced To stop the actions of violent extremist organisations (including itself). The government should immediately set the law in motion and the President should make a special address urging caution and desisting from violence A government of a democratic and civilised country should ensure that the freedom of all its citizens is protected EQUALLY. Any group or individual who threatens that freedom should be dealt with in accordance with the law. The government should not be tolerating or supporting (covertly or overtly) such groups. It should promptly arrest, prosecute persons involved in such racist acts which incite violence It is the responsibility of the government to ensure the rights of its citizens. It is the responsibility of the law enforcement authorities to ensure that the applicable law is carried out. These responsibilities are obviously ignored by the current government and furthermore, it appears to condone the actions of BBS indirectly through the high level political associations and ground level low enforcement support. In order for the government to fulfil its duties it needs to promote narratives of justice and impartiality, instead of the current trend towards racism and extremism.

The govt should actively make an effort to stop this . Act fast before you destroy yourselves and the country Arrest BBS members for inciting violence against a community and take appropriate measure to safe guard the interests of the minorities follow the original teachings of Lord Buddha Arrest and charge them eventually. The last time riots were not dealt with appropriately. Last time it led to a 30 year old civil war! Nip it at the Bud, this is something that could get totally out of hand and plunge the Country into another 30 years of darkness. Strongly condemn. Dissociate themselves from these groups. Stop giving the BBS publicity on state owned media and encourage all other media outlets to do the same. Engage with the BBS in talks together with other religious leaders and prominent multi-ethnic political leaders because as much as we disagree with their policies, it's important to acknowledge that this issue is not going to simply go away. However civil security forces must take steps to apprehend those who engaging in anti-Muslim. The government had been stressing on the importance of national security for years. Well THIS is a matter of national security that threatens to tear our country apart - again! Take necessary action to ensure the country does not enter another period of turmoil. It should not indulge or give patronage to these groups and should have dismissed the ban halal demand out of hand. Similarly, the perpetrators of the Fashion Bug attack should have been given tough punishment. The government should make a public statement condemning the activities of such groups and above all should not be seen as favouring them. Rapid crack down on the group. The group must be banned, considered as a terrorist group and properly punish those who support it and took part in its activities this includes extended prison sentences. bring them to justice without religious and political influence of the judiciary I think that Minister Vasudeva's proposal to ban them is a step in the right direction and I hope the Government will do so Reiterate that Sri Lanka is multi cultural , ethnic, and religious and a multi lingual country. Ban hate speech and bring laws to prosecute offenders. Educate masses of the strength of diversity. It should send a clear signal that while lobbying is acceptable, taking the law into their own hands will result in them being prosecuted by the state. The government should not support the groups like BBS. As SL is a multi-ethnic country. Leading this the government may have face serious problems. The government should make it clear to these groups and the public that they stand for human rights of all the citizens in the country (as they say they are) and arrest these monks for the crimes (damage, harassment). The Government should see that the BBS stop its activities immediately and also issue warnings to them that the Judiciary has been given the independence to take action against these trouble makers: Though the situation should be that the courts should take action in such instances whether the government gives the green light or not. it should not be tolerated Violence begets violence and people who create monsters usually have their hand bitten. Government should let the freedom of expression be carried out as long as there is not harm to people or property. But as soon as it gets to that point, the persons responsible should be apprehended and given rightful sentence. Dissociate itself from the pronouncements and activities of BBS. Members of the government should not attend or participate in events organised by BBS and similar groups. Act strongly against any illegal activities by these groups, including inciting violence, making statements inciting hatred against minority groups, etc I think the government needs to denounce these groups and challenge the false information being disseminated by them. It should provide the people with the correct picture on the insinuations made by

them. Their vigilante tactics need to be condemned and the rule of law enforced. The government should hasten to protect the minorities targeted by these actions and reassure them about their security. Any grievances that theses rabble rousing monks have, should be channelled through processes of civilized debate and discussion or through the mainstream secular and clerical Buddhist organizations. Neo Nazi groups such as bala Sena should be banned as these groups incite violence and hatred against minorities. ultimately allowing them to function will lead to authoritarianism Groups of this nature should not be allowed to carry out activities promoting hatred. We came out of a war that lasted 30 years took the lives of many and left wounds that would take time to heal. The government turning a blind eye to these kinds of activities will only aggravate the social tension in this country and lead to other extremist groups the chance to promote their messages of hate. If the government can stop people from demanding their simple rights the demands of these extremist groups who are calling for "ethnic cleansing" should be arrested and put behind bars. The government without tolerating and supporting these groups should cultivate a society that practices diversity and peace. They should disband the Bodu Bala Sena after all the police are there to look into maters. If this goes out of hand we will be going in to a blood bath. Let each religion practice its own ways and on the rules laid out by the constitution. If we feel its going out of hand then the parliament and the courts will have to look into it. They must be made to feel there is no govt support for them. They need to realize that they will be dealt with severely if such racist/religious actions continue Sri Lankan Buddhist is the real idiots. And they are perfect racist. Ban all groups and political parties supporting or purporting to further the cause of ethnic groups. Insist on secularism through positive action similar to Singapore. BBS campaign that spread hatred is unacceptable. In last decade we have seen that government suppress freedom of speech /expression based on religion . Ban Da Vinci Code (label as anti-catholic). Make Deepa Mehta stopped filming of Midnight Children (label as anti-Muslim ) and Ban Satanic verses and even making Buddhism as the main religion is all act of racist. Only solution to this is allow people to freely express ideas and make stage to find solution based on dialects. These incidents show the fact that Sri Lankan people are highly intolerable people. Muslims eat from only Halal foods and restaurant are banned to sell any non-halal food. This show there in-tolerance towards other communities. But solution to this is not making Si All hate campaigns must be stopped The government should take necessary action to arrest and give proper punishment to whoever that is involved in racism. If they do not do this soon enough Sri Lanka will head to another war, possibly a war that we can never win Clamp down, immediately The Govt. will not respond to activities and demands of the Bodu Bala Sena. So what is the point in talking about the response of the Govt. Must not adopt a religion. Religion is a personal belief and should be kept so. Our country has multi religious multi ethnic community and to develop we have to be tolerant, work in harmony towards the common goal of making Sri Lanka the way it was where all ethnic groups lived together. Buddhist priests should be given a pirivena education, should not be allowed to join political groups. The essence of ordination of a Buddhist monk is to leave the lay life and strictly adhere to the code of conduct laid down by the arya maha sangha and the Buddha himself. Their current behaviour is completely out of keeping with the Buddhist ethos of compassion towards all living beings. These monks can certainly should not desecrate the saffron robe. Dear publisher, as you know there are too many extremist groups in around the world like BBS and that is not the first such group in the world. Most of the people forget Bin laden and Jihad groups in Pakistan and Palestine creating havoc in Middle East etc.Even I have heard there are several groups in eastern part of Sri Lanka related to Muslim groups. I can write more but everyone should understand WE ARE SRI LANKAND and live together and not try to become separate from mainstream and do not destroy the future of children. May be Muslims trying to entice middle countries against Sri Lanka, which they do a great mistake

and they were born in Sri Lanka, not in Saudi Arabia. At last to say STAY TOGETHER,STRIVE TOGETHER OR DISTROY LIKE TIGERS. The Govt is promoting Sinhala Buddhism at the expense the minorities who are the citizen of this country over 1000 of years. Merely for political reasons and perpetuate the regime. So that in future elections they do not have expect support from minority parties. A very immature idea. No popular statesman would stoop this level of punishing and degrading his own citizen. There are over 1.7 bn Muslims in the world. Muslim countries come to our rescue at international fora when we are attacked by western countries. President should be grateful to Muslim nations. He should give into low level racists thinking and behaviour of monks who act on the instructions if their foreign masters, especially Norway and Israel. They are reacting, unfortunately not in a tolerant manner. The govt should quickly step in and defuse the situation. They should condemn and publicly disassociate themselves very publicly and undertake to punish offenders Legislate for and enforce stringent action against hate-speech and criminal trespass and award real compensation for damages caused damages eradicate the virus at the start without suffering again for many years ahead BAN THEM We should have racial and religious vilification laws Government should not let this group destroy its people (including Buddhists) Impartial action should be taken but I doubt it, rather it is up to the people to enforce it. The govt should cut them off or arrest them for disturbing the peace of the country. Do whatever it takes to stop this racism. Rather than directly victimizing or banning the BBS, the government should adopt an official stance on what aspects of Buddhism should be supported and followed by the state. They should distance themselves from the BBS and take initiatives to publicize their stance using state and private media in all three languages. Address it Punitive measures should be taken (But will GoSL punish its own project?) The govt. should take serious action against It should be taking steps to systematically end the BBS The government should take immediate and very strong action against any groups that are trying to spread racism in our country. They NEED to do this in order to prevent another ethnic war from taking place. Extremist groups like the BBS should be banned if not controlled. Any disputes between religious groups should be handled peacefully as this is a very sensitive matter. Post civil war, our national obligation and focus should be toward racial and religious tolerance, freeing media speech and education, and focussing on war and tsunami wrecked refugees. Nothing else. This is a waste of our nation yet again. Cut them out, they're not practicing Buddhism just insulting it, and it should be stopped! As a country that practices the philosophy, should we not uphold it? Yet, we are letting it go back to what the Prince ran from What can they do? the people need to take charge here take action against them and put a stop to this Arrest them The government needs to step up and do something and not encourage this disgraceful behaviour. Do we need to remind these so called Buddhists what the principles of the religion are? The government seems quite happy with the situation as it covers up their lack of governance - cost of living continues to rise but no publicity is given to it because of what's going on. They need to stop being so narrow minded and realise that this problem is only the tip of the iceberg and if not addressed and crushed ASAP the country and its peoples of all religions and ethnicity's will be in trouble. Have a dialogue with all religious leaders and come to an understanding where peace is contained. Stop all media propaganda and public protests until a solution is met. they should shut them down

TO please eradicate all this unnecessary hate from our country we've already been through one civil war we DONT need or want another one. This is an intolerant group and therefore has no place in a se unlatch society Actions such as this should not be condoned. While I agree that it is important that there is freedom of speech - this is not it. Being hateful towards a specific group, religious or otherwise will only promote hateful behaviour within our beautiful country and as Sri Lankans we must learn to live in harmony. The Government should endorse this belief and these principles. As a Buddhist country should we not follow what Lord Buddha taught by encouraging us to all take the middle path. An extremist movement such as this is NOT taking the middle path. Govt should ignore these kind of people Govt needs to take action to protect all, including the minorities. That is their job. The government should clamp down on such groups in the interest of the greater good of a unified society. Noting, because they are the once created and backing BBS. The Govt should immediately crack down on these moronic groups run by fools who should be behind bars, not in temples. Should listen to BBS voice and understand what they emphasis. Immediately cease all association and connection with them, urge the media to do the same, forbid any serious anti-Muslim activity and place harsher punishments on them and publicly condemn any terroristic and anti ethnic activity in Sri Lanka All decisions should be taken by the government. People can have petitions and such but not take actions. Each and every Buddhist monk who is associated with such activities is not worthy of the secret robe. Government should stop this, but keeping silence shows that they are supporter of it. The president should come forward and , give he's best speech against bodu bala Sena, and all the racism groups . All these anti Muslim groups should be banned. and labelled Terrorist Since BBS is not working within the Buddhist philosophy and is probably was created by a few number of people to achieve their own interests, the government should use all of its power to show BBS for what it is and what its going to be. Hopefully people would have enough intelligence to realize the truth behind the BBS. The government needs to take serious action. If we do not, as a modern society, recognize the tell-tale signs that have lead to every major genocide in the past generations then we have failed to prevent history from repeating itself. We must rise up and prevent the impending ethnic cleansing we can all see miles in advance and we should take advantage of this advanced notice. Irresponsive, apathetic and disengaged. The Government does not seem to care about the activities and even seems to be engaging with them on a positive level, by giving them the political space to carry out their activities. Freedom of Speech in terms of the media is limited in Sri Lanka, but hate speech apparently is not. The government is disgusting. This is probably a way to for the government to drive out the Muslims and gain control of their businesses and industries. Government should take this extremely serious, if they arent then they are putting the citizen at risk of another war. And its always cheaper to make peace than war. Let's face it. No group carries out such raids and activities so fearlessly besides high profile gangs and militant groups. So since groups like BBS and other Sinhala/Buddhist supremacists are neither (at least not officially yet), its obvious that the SL government has issued these groups a hall pass to do whatever they want with the minorities and even take credit for it. The government is left with many options on how to respond to demands of these groups. It's so obvious and crystal clear what these groups' intentions are. Any fool can understand what they are up to. In my opinion, the government should not tolerate such racism, let alone support them because they have to cater to the demands of the minorities that voted for them as well. They should not allowed public rallies & should stop hate speeches against other communities

There should be zero tolerance for racial acts - it only breeds hatred and war. We need to move on and focus on healing our already existing wounds and country! Take control of their activities and put a halt to them diplomatically Gvt is impartial and in double standards. need to pressurise the gvt if their genuine, they should enforce law and order to law breakers, create an environment for multiethnic society to live peacefully Limit the hate propaganda, enable transparency of who is behind and funding these activities with what motive, counter promote unity and peace more aggressively , take people to violate the law to task and be severe on punishments to curb future issue. Mind your own business, we will not tolerate any form of discrimination. The law must be set in motion against all committing acts of vandalism. Urge everyone to not promote racism and pledge strong action against such individuals and organizations This debate is a Freedom of speech vs. Hate. I'm all for freedom of speech but these organizations cross over very clearly to Hate. When his is crossed society and ultimately government should take more action to stop Hate based organisation to exist. In my view Buddhism is well protected by the Government of Sri Lanka. BBS is working on a different agenda. BBS should be banned. Brown shirts of Nazi's thugs of ruling party legally sanctioned to do illegal works Govt., should ensure no community is effected by Sinhala Buddhist rhetoric Clearly they dont want to lose valuable votes from individuals who share the beliefs of the BBS. This is extremely sad and disappointing. Never allow groups like this to exist! Give prison time to those that were and are involved. Groups spreading racial hatred should be banned and their demands ignored. More importantly, strong legislation must be created to tackle hate speech etc. There should be a zero tolerance of groups inciting racist actions against any group of people. The country has been through enough trauma and loss already. The views of the BBS and similar groups could potentially spill into violence which could soon escalate into a full blown conflict. This, so soon after 20 years of war, is unacceptable and for the government to do nothing about it is foolish and cowardly. They should not bow down to every single saffron robed buffoon! They are a Government for a reason BAN THEM, ILLEGALISE THEIR ACTIVITIES, SEND OUT CLEAR SIGNALS TO WIDER SOCIETY SINCE MANY HAVE FOLLOWED THIS EXTREMIST HATE GROUP'S IDEALS, AND FINALLY JAIL THOSE WHO CONTINUE TO CAUSE DISHARMONY AND VIOLENCE. Make clear that hate is a crime and show that it means it. Call for a national dialogue to be led by someone of universal respect in Sri Lanka as a means for beginning the process of national self-examination and ultimately reconciliation. No one should be above the law. If these thugs choose to dress up as monks and behave the way do, they should also be treated by the law accordingly Act decisively to condemn everything the Bodu Bala Sena does and shut them down The government should ignore these groups and treat them like any other citizen and judge them for their actions. For example, they should be subject to the law like everyone else. They should not be given any special treatment. They *should* just tell them to shut up. However, I see this less as a religious or ethnic problem, and more as a case of communalism. One community is envious that another community seems to be better off than them, and is seeking answers in the only way they know. For all I know, the government may be encouraging this anti-Muslim sentiment, to distract from the fact that they are not addressing the primary economic grievances of the offended (majority) community. Also, it serves as a good news-media distraction from the fact the GoSL is not faring too well on the international arena. If you let the groups like the BBS to demand and dictate the policy of this country it will drive the country in to war again. As the elected government there is a responsibility to all its citizens and it should ensure that

all races and religions are equally given rights and those rights upheld. The government needs to put a swift stop to the BBS and display their stand on keeping Sri Lanka United if they truly mean it Should taboo these kinds of groups even though they are a Muslim group because these kinds of groups have a chance to make another war in Sri Lanka. And now SL Muslims should stay calm. Ask them to articulate their demands and goals, and make them stick to a peaceful path. Make no exceptions in applying the rule of law on them. Government shouldn't act against them as it'll be against their fundamental rights but the government must punish them for their civil and criminal offences and stop encouraging them. Ban The government should not endorse these acts and should make as example by prosecuting some of its leaders for criminal intent. The gov't should cut all ties and show that it is the only legitimate user of force in the state and use that power to safeguard the interest of all citizens. The government has a responsibility to ensure the safety of ALL its citizens. It launch an extensive island wide media campaign promoting unity instead of using such issues to cover up the rising cost of living and detrimental economic policies. The Sri Lankan government MUST engage in conflict resolution with both Tamil and Muslim minorities. A study (by an impartial party) should be commissioned to identify the root cause of intolerance against minorities so prevalent in Sri Lanka and issues arising from it addressed in order to create a united Sri Lanka over the long term. Discourage such activities Enforce the Law without Fear or Favour The government should maintained the low and order equally to all It's true that Muslims are doing things to popularize their religion. At the same time it's true that Islam is the stupidest and most dangerous religion on this planet. But still the way our people are handling this is not correct. This should be a mind game. We should not act violently because we dont need another civil war in this country. We had enough of that. Instead we have to use our mind and have more effective and long lasting solutions to this problem and ensure that this land never become an Islamic country. The government always wants to create a common enemy for people to fight with, so that they are not being targeted by people. BBS is just one gang operating to fulfil this need of the government. Now Muslim and Sinhala people are fighting with each other while politicians rob the country. Government should ban BBS and those who talk racism should be arrested soon with severe charges... We are on our way to create another Prabaharan or Bin Laden., and I don't think Sri Lanka can accommodate another 30 years of civil war. It can be clearly seen, that being a monk has given the privilege of doing anything that they wanted to do.., this should be changed, No matter, what is your status, if they carry out act of violence, they should be immediately arrested. Just take actions to remove such groups from the society Gov. should implement the prevention of terrorism act against these racists. Government should take stern actions to stop this misinformation. Discrimination should not be tolerated. Any unfactual statement should be treated as an attempt to disturb the peace in the country. Should not allow anyone other than police to engage in law enforcement. Extremists turn fascist and then restrict the freedom of their own people(LTTE killing TULF). If no action is taken now government/country will pay the price. Discrimination based on anything should be banned for becoming paradise of the world. Equal opportunity should be given to other groups to counter the false propaganda of BBS. One cannot build on false foundation. I can see destruction not development. Gov should be in control and treat every citizen equal. Condemn them. Withdraw (direct & indirect) support for perpetrators. Make an unequivocal statement condemning the activities of the BBS and other racists groups, threatening the full force of the law for non-compliance.

I think BBS should be there to remind people that there is a problem in our country with the Muslims. But I don't agree with some of their extremist activities such as throwing eggs & etc. Strengthen law enforcement. Police should act independently. Make a clear distinction between state and religion. No one knew about this ACJUs-Halal program except Muslims, until the Bodu Bala Sena brought that up. Halal should starts from Muslim mosque doorstep and it should stop in front of the doorstep of Buddhist temple and Hindu kovil. If halal goes through to the temple or kovil, its like situate a statue in a Muslim mosque or serving pork to Muslims as another meat. More than 5000 products got halaaled without publishing even a press advertorial. That is wrong and that should stop at the beginning. Emphasise that every religion in this country should be given equal respect, if not importance. Bring out the miracle of all the religions in Kataragama- something that people from all over the world come to visit. It is unnecessary violence and the message of every religion should be PEACE AND HARMONY. Government should consider the call of the people. It depends and rest in the hands of the people. If the people get together they can really change the government. All those who are in the parliament are powerless if the people get together and fight for what they want. Nip it in the bud. Take a stand that is lawful, deal with criminal acts as they should be dealt with and work with the different groups to find ways to compromise on hard-felt issues. There are multiple messages coming out of government, which shows the divide within. Ensure that the message that comes out is that Sri Lanka will not succumb to the flames of racism and hatred again. They should be mindful of the importance of Muslim markets to the SriLankan economy! I believe they should feel heard, but be sent a clear message that the public and authorities will neither support nor stand by and let such activities continue. So essentially they feel heard but completely unsupported and are stamped out diplomatically. View as a Sri Lankan Even if the government governs a population with a majority claiming to be "Buddhist", the government has an obligation to treat followers of other religions with respect and equality and take measures to protect their respective cultures and beliefs. At this juncture the government has equal responsibility to safeguard both religions and their practices without instigating violence, for the betterment and safely of the entire population (including atheists and the presidents children). The best stand the government could take at this point is to propagate the concept of ahimsa in Buddhism and brotherhood in Islam, probably using the same promotional tools used during political campaigning; press, electronic media, v Government should listen to the just demands bringing forward and should act without wasting time to protect Buddhism and rights of Sinhalese. The Government should take a strong firm stand and take stern action to protect its entire people regardless of religion and ethnicity. By staying silent (or just making insignificant verbal pleas to stop these attacks) they are just enforcing and promoting these groups. As someone once said 'All that is needed for the forces of evil to succeed is for enough good men to remain silent.' Should be dealt with by the legal system in the country The government should immediately proscribe the BBS and charge its leaders with inciting violence and hate speech. That much can at least be proven against them from a legal standpoint. Take a stand. Since the end of the war, the Government has made many efforts to indicate that they are working towards establishing a society where people of all ethnic groups can coexist peacefully, and in dignity. By remaining silent / failing to act on this issue, they are contradicting themselves. Enforce the laws of the country Call for a discussion and sort out the fair demands amicably and give stern warning on Igniting racism through freedom of speech and creating communal disharmony. also the few monks give false information of other religions to be reprimanded by the Buddha Shasana for defaming Buddhist Teachings the government needs to take a firm public stance against groups like the BBS, they have the power to nip this in the bud but their silence is facilitating the growth of the hate movements

Government should publicly condemn acts of hate towards minorities and should provide a platform to promote Sri Lanka as a harmonized multicultural country rather than a Sinhala Buddhist dictatorship. They should ensure that there is no room for ethnic cleansing Don't repeat the same mistakes twice The government should at least stop pandering to these groups . they should put an end to it ,before its too late The government and the leaders of the country should respect all religions and races while ensuring equality among them as it is their duty to safe-guard the nation and consider the citizens only as Sri Lankans despite their cultural differences. If it is true that Sri Lanka is a multi-cultural nation there should be freedom for all cultures to practice their ways without any hindrance and interference. Buddhism is a pure philosophy that teaches only the good and I hope those involved in spreading Buddhism do not spread racism and radicalism along with it and ruin the purity of the great philosophy taught by the Great Lord Buddha. at least govt should not support them Ban extremist groups immediately.. Does not matter what denomination they represent and make hate speech a crime..Also the govt need to reign in foreign funded evangelist and jihadist groups from infiltrating mainstream religious groups Definitive action, not just words, to show that hate groups will NOT be tolerated. A swift reminder that as a multicultural country, minorities should be respected and have all rights to live in their country without fear of persecution. Official statements only in English are NOT enough. I honestly think that the government is supporting BBS Obviously the government to should look in to this matter immediately. Since it's clear that these zealots are behaving in a very aggressive and abusive manner hence directly violating the law they should be apprehended and penalized accordingly. At the same time it's only fair that the government dig deep in to this matter in order to find the root cause. In my opinion, the injustice took place in the law entrance exam was one of the significant trigger factor. (Clearly there was an abrupt increase in the number of Muslim admission, roughly a 7 fold rise, this year, which again is an act of provoking racism unnecessarily.) Punish people who are infringing on others' right to live. The govt should have stopped it long time ago. It is quite sad that we have to sign 'petitions' for them to notice that BBS is not right. Promoting racism is not right. Why wait for people to protest. Whats wrong is wrong, BBS should be stopped. The government should ban them immediately as they pose a threat to the entire nation! There should not be any room for racism in my country. Unfortunately its an uncomfortable truth now that my country is anti Muslim. Never though id live to see this day. Im honestly disappointed for us and our future generations. and if one day us Buddhists will be in the same situation.Itl all be the bodu bala Sena joker`s fault. Unless if karma is a false concept of course. They should ban any racist groups from protesting against any minority and protect these minorities as they, too has helped Sri Lanka grow in the last few years I personally think BBS is a puppet of some government officials who are inciting racial hatred to stay in power by the 'Divide and Rule' policy. The government should be proactive and ban such groups who incite racial hatred and if there is any issue with anything that anyone is doing, it should be done in a diplomatic manner rather than the way BBS and other groups are doing. Our President should be at the forefront in spreading peace, especially after the allegations of ethnic cleansing in the North. The Govt should not encourage Bodu Bala Sena as they are not an elected body of the people. In fact the Govt should take disciplinary action against them, and encourage, instead, to promote the words of the Lord Buddha through temples, daham pasal, since I feel the Buddhists are somewhat insecure as more and more Buddhists are going behind other religions where there is a living God. Simple. Put a complete stop by dis grouping & disowning. Clearly stating to public of the harm it can do The democratic course of action would be to warn the BBS, about the communal disharmony that they are causing and make it clear that the government does not support them. The BBS has distanced themselves

from the recent hate-crimes, and though it is clear they incited it, they cannot be arrested. But if the gov. finds solid evidence that links these crimes to the BBS, they should be tried and sentenced just as other civilians are; religious leaders are not above the law. they should shut it down, it is completely in their power to do Government should take necessary steps to eradicate these racist groups The govt. should met out reasonable punishments to those who engage in destructive activities in the name of religion regardless of whether they are Muslim, Buddhist or otherwise...No one in SL has the right to take the law into their own hands. Unfortunately due to the gross impotence of Sri Lankan Law Enforcement(a situation created by the govt. itself), such things are highly unlikely to happen. Ban all organizations which segregate race and religion. Not even a political party should have the name Sinhalese or Muslim or Tamil or anything. All religions and languages should be taught in every school. They should at least make it clear that they do not tolerate such insults to people of their country, albeit people belonging to another religion. Remove their robe in public, and make sure that everyone is treated equally, to build up a new Sri Lanka Ban them and make it clear to them privately that this cannot continue. Religion is a freedom of choice.. All religions teach the same principle of life.. Buddhism is a peaceful religion.. it teaches moderation and not extremism The government should ban such groups & activities, which very one knows that the government will never ever do because it is the government & and their groups which give the license & monetary fund to do so. the first thing that should be done is such government should be send home & a government which has a heat & soul clean enough to think beyond the box & consider all srilankans as one should be appointed Allow the law to take its course... If it is to protect Buddhism in this country, then this is not the way to solve this problem. Groups like BBS, if they are true Buddhists, must take a solution that is in accordance with the Buddha's teaching, the Dhamma. Otherwise no good will come out of it. The Buddha never encouraged violence to solve any problem. There has to be a better way to solve this issue. Investigate and prosecute violent acts; recognize such acts and speeches as hate crimes; deny state support for such groups and take steps to ensure that no state authority or official is seen to support or endorse such groups. Anyone who is born in Sri Lanka is a Sri Lankan irrespective of his religion. Governments fundamental duty into protect every citizen of Sri Lanka. issue should be investigated and Government should take necessary actions to stop this hate propaganda against the minorities of the country. Because this country belongs to each and every Sri Lankan. Forbid Governments are meant to govern. Leadership is about showing the way forward out of misery, not into it. Buddhism teaches the values that are needed by this country now. The state should encourage these principles not the very opposite and foolishly claim that it is a Buddhist country. Clearly these violent and intolerant groups should be discouraged, not sponsored for devious reasons, undermining the very existence of the Nation. Complete eradicate all groups promoting hate & disharmony Ban BBS for inciting racism on the minds of Sri Lankan youth Stop it to show Government is there to Govern and Police is there to ensure rule of law! The government should know to safeguard the rights of all the citizens. Provocative language must be banned like in Singapore. The government needs to act fast before this match stick becomes a forest fire. BBS has a right to have its campaign to revive Buddhism. No one should tolerate hate speech Government should support BBS The constitution has laws that cover riot, intimidation and the other illegal activities that have occurred. Perpetrators should be arrested and the law pursued.

Government should clearly ban groups like BBS. They should clearly stand up for the rights of "Human". Not of the so called "Buddhists", "Hindus" or "Muslims". They should thoroughly mitigate any extremist acts while protecting citizens. In my opinion government clearly is supporting the majority. Government should intervene and put a stop to this nonsense. It's being carried away too much. Strongly condemn these groups. The Government needs to talk to them as not listening could worsen the situation. However the Government also needs to know when to draw the line and if necessary take stern action to curb groups like this. Ban them Treat the activities of such groups based on the laws of the land. If they are promoting racial attacks thru hate speeches which are mostly untrue Global politics are complex. Many were quick to blame 1983 riots on Sinhala masses, but time showed how RAW and so called protectors of Tamils were involved in that provocation. Sri Lanka ended the war, but we see many forces trying to drag it back to clutches of racist LTTE. So, the Government or any other party cannot look at this on the face value. Everything has to be viewed in the global political context. Trying to ensure safety of all citizens is a complex endeavour, not simple face value cause and effect. As much as BBS agenda is sick, agendas of ALL head counting religions are sick; Muslims who are dogmatic on halal and sharia are sickness in the society. Solution is not to let them compete, but STOP THE UNHEALTHY COMPETITION. All religious extreme groups including BBS should be banned. be banned DO NOT overreact. This in fact is not a govt's problem, this is a problem related to mutual respect and peaceful co-existence. The main problem is that the SL 'society' in general not being a disciplined and a law abiding one. Who is to blame for that may have different facets per individual beliefs and political/social allegiances. However if it is not addressed soon as a nation (not govt) we will have more problems and it would be the society to blame (NOT govt !) The government should take action to totally eliminate all kinds of hate speech directed against any section of the society. Those who propagate hatred between communities should be arrested and brought to justice. Freedom of people to practice their religion must be upheld. The practice of the Police tolerating violence, thuggery and hooliganism by monks should be stopped. The obvious tendency of going softly, softly against these monks by the Police brings law and order to a mockery. It makes people particularly the minorities to lose faith in law and justice. It also makes our country the laughing stock before the nations of the world. Must ban such groups. Take measures to ban such groups as the Government represents all ethnicities not just one. The government should abolish BBS and punish this so called activist as they are promoting racism and violence against an innocent race .And should be punished severely as human rights are being violated in the guise of religion. Some should even be banished from Sri Lanka for disrupting peace and trying to instigate war . The government must hold such groups accountable for countering meaningful efforts to address national reconciliation and the persistent lack of assurances for all minorities--religious, ethnic, class-based, race, etc.--in what is and has always been a multicultural Sri Lanka. The government must reckon with past sufferings and grievances experienced by minorities by taking a stand against any sort of fundamentalism that would endanger the reconciliation process at this critical juncture. Ban them. But the government is looking the other way. They are not a responsible group of people. Nip them in the bud