By Col R Hariharan
“Bodu Bala Sena General Secretary Galagodaaththe Gnanasara
Thero addressing the rally in Aluthgama yesterday, referred to Muslims in
derogatory terms and accused sections of the Government of being in
collaboration with the Muslim Community. “They keep calling us racist and
religious extremists. Yes, we are racists,” he charged as the crowd cheered him
on. “This country still has a Sinhala police a Sinhala army. If a single
Sinhalese is touched, that will be the end of all them,” he screamed.” – From
Dharisha Bastiyan’s report in the Sri Lankan online portal Daily FT on
June 16, 2014
The above media quote
provides the simple answer to question “Why violent attacks continue against
Muslims in Sri Lanka? The words quoted above are from the speech of Bodu Bala Sena
(BBS)’s founder leader Gunasara Thero at a rally organized in Aluthagama on
June 15.
Sri Lanka has allowed
Buddhist chauvinism to get into “direct action” against Muslim minority that is
inciting the violent attacks against them. Evidently, as earlier instances have
shown the government had been reluctant to take action to curb such provocative
events for fear of antagonizing the Sinhala right wing which is an important
segment of President Mahinda Rajapaksa’s “vote bank.”
The BBS had organized
the rally in Aluthagama after three Muslim youth had allegedly assaulted a
Buddhist monk and his driver on June 12. However, Muslim media sources said the
BBS had twisted a simple altercation between a Muslim youth and the driver of a
vehicle carrying a Bhikku as an attack on the monk to rouse Sinhala passions.
Police arrested three Muslims suspected to be involved in the
incident and they have been remanded to custody till June 25.
According to the well known expatriate analyst DBS Jeyaraj’s
detailed report the BBS rally was attended by 7000 people and included many
brought from outside. Buddhist Followers of the Fascist organisation Ravana
Balaya had also joined the rally.
At the end of the rally, 150-200 strong followers of BBS
including young monks shouting anti-Muslim slogans headed towards the local
mosque. It resulted in a skirmish when Muslim youth tried to head them off near
the mosque. In the melee that followed Muslim houses and shops were stoned.
Some Muslims are also reported to have pelted stones on vehicles in the BBS
procession.
According to Jeyaraj, the police intervened to disperse the
Muslim youth rather than prevent the BBS procession from going ahead. He
added “the assailants were mainly outsiders and not from the neighbourhood.
Bells started pealing in Buddhist temples. When people gathered at the temples
they were exhorted to join the “holy war” and teach the Muslims a lesson.”
Around 6.45 pm police
imposed curfew in the area. However, later the incidents continued and when the
violence spread to adjacent Beruwala area the curfew was extended there also.
But apparently the action was belated as at least 20 Muslim owned
businesses and several houses in the area were destroyed.
There were several incidents of arson and many buildings
were set ablaze. According to Sri Lanka Muslim Congress (SLMC) MP Mohammed
Aslam at least 25 houses were gutted completely. A very large number of
buildings have suffered extensive damage. Several vehicles owned by Muslims
were damaged or burnt. The Fire Brigade was called in to quell the spreading
fires.
At the end of it all,
yesterday three people were dead and 80 injured; 50 houses and property
((including burning down of over 10 shops ) in the predominantly Muslim area of
Dharga town were damaged. According to the Daily FT report “houses
in the Kotapitiya, Meeri Penna and Adhikarigoda areas in Aluthgama were also
set on fire, with Muslim residents fleeing their homes to take sanctuary in
several mosques in Dharga town.”
This is not the first
incident in which Muslims and their property have been attacked and destroyed.
This had been going on ever since BBS was founded in 2012.
Even if we make
allowance for some exaggeration in the reports on the Aluthagama violence one
thing is clear: the BBS is responsible for it. It was the incendiary
anti-Muslim rhetoric of the BBS leader Gunasara Thero that inflamed the mob
that indulged in violent acts against Muslims.
Logically, action should
be taken against the monk and the BBS for inciting violence. But if we go by past
experience such a follow up action is unlikely. So we can expect the BBS to
exploit any opportunity arising in the future also to carry out more such
violent incidents.
One can discern a
pattern followed by the administration in handling the growing Buddhist
activism against Muslims.
a. Usually, police do not
take preventive action to curb such gatherings that precipitate
violence. In the Aluthagama incident also, the police permitted the BBS rally
despite pleas from Muslim organizations and ministers not to do so. After the
incident involving Muslim youth and the Buddhist cleric and his driver was
reported, they feared BBS rally would incite violence against
the community.
b. According to Jeyaraj there were over 900 policemen at the location. Apparently they were either unwilling or unable to prevent the attacks by hoodlums. This is also the usual response of the police. They generally do not act when violent incidents start; nor do they respond strongly to prevent the situation getting out of hand.
b. According to Jeyaraj there were over 900 policemen at the location. Apparently they were either unwilling or unable to prevent the attacks by hoodlums. This is also the usual response of the police. They generally do not act when violent incidents start; nor do they respond strongly to prevent the situation getting out of hand.
c. The Muslim ministers and
community leaders usually approach the administration for help when they
apprehend such violence or when violent acts are being perpetrated. But
generally the administration is lukewarm in its response.
d. After such incidents,
the President usually issues a statement appealing to all communities not to
take law into their own hands. After the Aluthagama incident also the same
pattern had been followed. President Rajapaksa, who is on a visit to Bolivia,
issued a statement last night saying “the government will not allow anyone to
take law into their hands.” (But the moot point is already some people had
taken the law into their own hands.) According to the President’s media unit,
the President urged the parties concerned to act with restraint. He ordered an
investigation to bring to book those responsible for the incidents in
Aluthagama.
In the follow up action,
Prime Minister DM Jayaratna and senior cabinet ministers including Basil
Rajapaksa, AHM Fowzie and Dallas Allaperumaha
met with police officials and religious groups in Kalutara to assess the
security situation. The curfew has been extended in Aluthagama and Dehiwala
areas.
Justice Minister and Sri
Lanka Muslim Congress leader Rauf Hakeem visited Dargha town area today. Having
failed to protect his people, Hakeem said he was ashamed to continue as a
minister and was considering whether to be part of the government or not.
And in Chennai, the
Tamil Nadu Tawheed Jamaat has decided to organize a protest outside the Sri
Lankan Deputy High Commissioner’s office.
What next is the
question? Is it going to be action replay? What happened to the religious
police raised to look into these incidents?
One can only hope
President Rajapaksa takes strong action curb such incidents. The country’s long
term stake in maintaining communal harmony and cannot afford any action to
jeopardise it. Otherwise, the future of Muslims in Sri Lanka does not look
encouraging. And it could affect Sri Lanka in many ways.
(Col R Hariharan, a retired Military
Intelligence specialist on South Asia, served with the Indian Peace Keeping
Force in Sri Lanka as Head of Intelligence. He is associated with the Chennai
Centre for China Studies and the South Asia Analysis Group. E-Mail: colhari@yahoo.com Blog: http://col.hariharan.info )
Courtesy:
South Asia Analysis Group Note No 720 dated 16 June 2014
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