Sri Lankan Government: Take Urgent Action

to Stop Attacks on Muslims

We the under signed
organizations, individuals and members of Sri Lankan and international civil society condemn
in the strongest possible terms the latest wave of horrific violence led by the extreme right-
wing Sinhala Buddhist organisation, Bodu Bala Sena BBS ! "he Buddhist #ower $orce%
against the &uslim community of south-western Sri Lanka in the towns of 'luthgama,
Beruwala, (elipenna and )harga "own*
'ccording to reliable sources in the area, in the last two days at least four &uslims and one
"amil have been killed by mobs following a BBS rally led by +ts ,eneral Secretary, the
Buddhist &onk ,alagodaaththe ,nanasara in which he referred to the &uslim community in
the most inflammatory and threatening terms after days of inter-communal tension and clearly
inciting hatred and violence* ' further eighty people have suffered serious in-uries including
shooting and knife wounds* &os.ues have been torched and stoned and many &uslim owned
houses and businesses attacked and destroyed*
+t is noticeable that there has not been an official call from the #resident of Sri Lanka apart
from two twitter messages% to bring an end to the violence or to provide clear orders to the
security forces to maintain law and order* "he BBS has been allowed to lead a systematic and
sustained campaign of violence against &uslims in Sri Lanka attacking individuals, places of
worship and business over the past three years* /ecent tensions in the area were well known
and have been brought to the attention of the political leaders of Sri Lanka but they have failed
to act decisively*
)espite heavy presence by the Sri Lankan security forces now in the area, there has been very
little meaningful protection and a night time curfew was not respected by the mobs* "he riots
Wednesday, 01 2une 3405
have not been controlled and instead have spread to neighbouring villages, where innocent
men, women and children are fearful for their lives* So far not many arrests have been made
and the BBS ,eneral Secretary ,nanasara is allowed to roam the area freely inciting further
hatred and violence* +ndependent -ournalists, community leaders and politicians have been
refused entry into the area to report on events or to seek ways to address them* (ans carrying
relief supplies into the area have been set alight*
"herefore, we call on the ,overnment of Sri Lanka to take immediate and effective action and
ensure that all perpetrators of this shameless violence are arrested without delay and that peace
is immediately restored*
"he Sri Lankan government bears ultimate responsibility to contain violence against religious
minorities* "he #resident who is also the &inister of Law and 6rder, and ,otabaya /a-apaksa,
the Secretary of )efence, are both abroad on foreign trips but should return to the country
immediately to ensure law and order is maintained and reassure their citizens that appropriate
actions are being taken by deploying ade.uate security forces to protect minorities from further
violence*
"he ,overnment must also act to allow independent -ournalists and community leaders to enter
the area safely to report on events and seek to address them in a peaceful manner*
$urther, the ,overnment must act now to bring to an end this three year campaign of hate
speech and violence by the BBS ! enough is enough
We call upon the 6rganisation of +slamic 7ooperation at the highest level to communicate its
grave concerns to the #resident and ,overnment of Sri Lanka, calling upon the authorities to
act immediately to curb attacks on &uslims in Sri Lanka*
We call upon all Buddhist nations to express profound concern at the systematic and sustained
violence perpetrated in the name of the Lord Buddha*
$inally, we call upon the 89 Special /apporteur on $reedom of /eligion and Belief, :einer
Bielefeld, to take this issue up in the strongest possible terms with the Sri Lankan government
and to re.uest permission to undertake an urgent visit to Sri Lanka and report on these events*

We stand in solidarity with the victims and survivors of the villages of 'luthgama, Beruwala,
)harga "own, Walpitiya and (elipenna*
Signed by;
+ndividuals;
0* '*&*$aaiz, 'ttorney-at-Law )irector, Secretariat for &uslims
3* 'hilan <adirgamar
=* 'ingkaran <* 'ttorney-at-Law
5* 'ino Salish <endra, )haka, Bangladesh
>* 'liya $irozvi
?* 'marnath 'marasingham
@* 'meena :ussein
1* 'nberiya :aneefa &W/'$
A* 'nenta /atneswaren - 8<
04* 'nita 9esiah
00* 'nthony 'nghie, 8niversity of 8tah
03* 'nura- Sinnaththamby ! 8<
0=* 'nushka <ahandagama
05* 'r-ini 9awal
0>* 'runi 2ohn
0?* 'sha 'beyasekera-(an )ort
0@* 'shika ,unasenaSerasundera
01* Bhavani $onseka
0A* 7assam 8teem, 7lub de &adrid and former #resident of &auritius
34* 7handra Lekha Sriram #rofessor of +nternational Law and +nternational /elations
8niversity of Bast London
30* 7hinniah /a-eshkumar
33* 7hulani <odikara
3=* )ayapala "hiranagama
35* )eanne 8yangoda
3>* )elores /obinson ,/66"S "rinidad and "obago
3?* )ennis &c,ilvray, #rofessor )epartment of 'nthropology 8niversity of 7olorado at
Boulder
3@* )harmasena #athira-a $ilm maker and academic
31* )inusha #anditaratne
3A* )r* 8dan $ernando, (isiting 'cademic, 6pen 8niversity of Sri Lanka*
=4* )r* (arun Soni, )ean of /eligious Life, 8niversity of Southern 7alifornia
=0* )r*Samanthi2*,unewardena Lecturer in ,ender and )evelopment &onash 8niversity*
=3* B* (alentine )aniel
==* Binul 'zeema Lal )irector, <aleels &aradana 9ursing :ome
=5* Bstella Schmid ! 8<
=>* $aizun Cackariya- 7o- founder, 7hair, )irector of &uslim WomenDs /esearch and 'ction
$orum
=?* $arzana :aniffa
=@* $r* 2eyakumar
=1* $r* Sebamalai &annar 7itizenEs 7ommittee%
=A* ,ananath 6beysekere
54* ,arvin (an )ort
50* ,ayatri Wi-ekoon 'cademic
53* ,hulam &ustafa )ulal , Bxecutive )irector, ,onoshasthaya <endra
)haka, Bangladesh
5=* ,odfrey Fogara-a Bxecutive director, /eligious Liberty 7ommission, World Bvangelical
'lliance
55* :arshini /anasinghe
5>* :erman <umara 9ational $isheries Solidarity &ovement*
5?* 2ayanta de S wi-eratne
5@* 2ayanthi<uru-8tumpala
51* 2eanne &arecek, #h)* Wm* <enan #rofessor Bmerita, Swarthmore 7ollege* 8S'
5A* 2othie /a-ah, /esearch #rofessor, 'merican Bar $oundation*
>4* 2udith Large
>0* 2uwairiya &ohideen
>3* <aramat 'li, Bxecutive )irector, #akistan +nstitute of Labour Bducation and /esearch,
<arachi, #akistan
>=* <arunai <arunailingam ! 8<
>5* <hushi <abir :uman /ight 'ctivist, Bangladesh
>>* <irupa :oole
>?* <uhanithy ,unachandran
>@* <umudu <usum <umara
>1* <umuthini Samuel
>A* Lakshan )ias Board member /ights 9ow and 7hairman S'9/+&
?4* Lareef Cubair (isiting Lecture 8niversity of #eradeniya
?0* Leah Lakshmi #iepzna- Samarasinha
?3* Luz &endez, Bxecutive Board, 9ational 8nion of ,uatemalan Women
?=* & ' Sumanthiran B Sc LL&, 'ttorney at Law, &ember of #arliament "9'%
?5* & F & Siddeek ! 8<
?>* &* &angaleswary -'ttorney-at-Law
??* &*<* #erinpara-a, 'ttorney-at- Law <almunai
?@* &*/ahman, &annar
?1* &ahaluxumi <urushanthan , &annar
?A* &ahendran "hiruvarangan
@4* &ala Liyanage, Bxecutive )irector Law and Society "rust*
@0* &ario ,omez
@3* &att Withers
@=* &ihiri (arnasuriya
@5* &ihiri Warnasuriya
@>* &ohamed 'damaly
@?* &ohamed $arook, 'ttorney-at-Law, 'kkaraipattu
@@* &ohamed /ayees
@1* &ushta. $uad
@A* 9agulan 9esiah
14* 9alini /atnara-ah
10* 9eloufer de &el
13* 9ilakshi de Silva
1=* 9immi gowrinathan
15* 9irmal /an-ith )evasiri*
1>* 9irmala /a-asingam
1?* 9isreen 2affer-ee
1@* #akkiyanathan (i-ayashanthan
11* #rashanth <uganathan, "eacherDs 7ollege, 7olumbia 8niversity
1A* #riyanthi $ernando
A4* #rofessor &aithree Wickramasinghe
A0* Gadri +smail 8niversity of &innesota
A3* /aghu Balachandran
A=* /a-an :oole
A5* /a-any 7handrasegaram, 2affna
A>* /amani &uttettuwegama
A?* /atna-eevan :oole
A@* /ishana :aniffa
A1* /ohini :ensman
AA* /uki $ernando
044* S* 9anthikesan
040* S*:*&* &anarudeen, 'ttorney-at-Law, &aruthamunai
043* Saadi.ua $auz
04=* Samantha de Silva
045* Sarawanan 9adarasa
04>* Savi :ensman
04?* Shahul :asbullah
04@* Shamila )aluwatte
041* Sharika "hiranagama
04A* Sharm 'boosally
004* Shayani 2ayasinghe
000* Sheba ,eorge, S':/ W'/8 WomenDs 'ction and /esource 8nit, 'hmedabad
003* Shobasakthi
00=* Shreen 'bdul Saroor
005* Sithiravel +thayarani
00>* Sithy Culfika
00?* Suba Sivakumaran
00@* Sumathy Sivamohan
001* Syed &ohammad 'li, #ost-doctoral $ellow, &c,ill 8niversity ! 8<
00A* "anu-a "huraira-ah
034* "asneem 'hmar, )irector at 8<S- /esearch centre on women and media, #akistan
030* "eesta Setalvad 2ournalist and Secretary of 7itizens for 2ustice and #eace in the state of
,u-arat
033* "henuwara 7handraguptha
03=* 8sha ,anapragasam 'kkaraipattu
035* (*(* ,aneshananthan Lanka Solidarity- 8S'
03>* (airamuttu (ardakumar and "amil +nformation 7entre- London
03?* (anie Simon 'kkaraipattu
03@* (asuki 2eyasankar
031* (asuki 9esiah, 'ssoc* #rof* of #ractice, 9ew Fork 8niversity
03A* Falini)ream
0=4* Fasmin Sooka , Bxecutive )irector $oundation for :uman /ights, $ormer member of
South 'frican "ruth and /econciliation 7ommission, $ormer member of Sierra Leonean
7ommission*
0=0* Cafrullah 7howdurry ,onoshasthaya <endra, Bangladesh
0=3* Careen /asheed
6rganisations;
0==* 'sian $orum for :uman /ights and )evelopment $6/8&-'S+'%
0=5* 7ampaign 'gainst 7riminalizing 7ommunities 7'&#'77%
0=>* +nternational 7entre for Bthnic Studies
0=?* Lanka )evelopment 2ournalists $orum
0=@* &annar WomenEs )evelopment $ederation
0=1* &uslim Women )evelopment "rust
0=A* #eace in <urdistan 7ampaign #+<%
054* #rogram for WomenEs Bconomic Social 7ultural /ights #WBS7/%- )elhi
050* 8< "amil 'ssociations
053* WomenEs 'ction 9etwork Sri Lanka