Aluthgama and the consequences of impunity

FUTA PRESS RELEASE

The Federation of University Teachers’ Associations (FUTA) vehemently

condemns the violent incidents and complete breakdown of law and order that

transpired in Aluthgama on the 14th and 15th of this month. While condemning all

forms of religious and ethnic intolerance, discrimination and violence, FUTA sees

the Aluthgama incident as an individual expression of a larger systemic problem.

We are perplexed as to how, in a country where the police swiftly seek judicial

orders to prevent university students from holding protest marches, the same

police is unable to anticipate the consequences of an extremist quasi-religious

organization holding a large public rally in an area already simmering with

religious tension. We are also perplexed as to how once violence broke out,

despite heavy police and military presence, the rioting continued unabated for

several hours with much damage to property, businesses, places of worship,

including the death of two Muslim youth.

FUTA believes, as with the recent attack on Ruhuna university students and

lecturers and a number of incidents of intimidation at Jaffna university and the

general stifling of any form of dissent by trade unions, students or other civil

society groups, the Aluthgama incident points to a dangerous culture of impunity

that is nurtured and fostered by those within or close to the current regime.

Certain groups, it appears are above the law and are empowered to unleash

prejudice, hatred and violence at will. If this culture of impunity is allowed to

grow unchecked every individual in this country will fear for their safety and

security. What little faith that exists in the institutions of law and order will

further deteriorate with grave social consequences leading to a situation where

people will increasingly take policing into their hands.

In any multicultural society ethnic and religious tensions do occur but it is the role

of the state to act swiftly and decisively to stem such tensions and protect its

citizens. Sri Lanka has just emerged from 30 years of brutal and lacerating civil

conflict and we can ill afford another ethno-religious conflagration. We call upon

the state, and the current regime who are custodians of the state, to immediately

arrest and prosecute those who incited and perpetrated violence in Aluthgama.

We also call upon the state to immediately take substantive measures to restore

law, order and good governance and to restore people’s faith in the institutions of

law and order. We demand an immediate stop to the unleashing of violence upon

those who hold dissenting views and that the right to democratic protest and

dissent be respected.

…………………….

Prof. Rohan Fernando

Secretary/FUTA

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B2lHMPZ6d2YzWnc5dnplNmhGLUZmbWtyZVBOYXY5d0hfblFj/edit?usp=sharing