A Brief Colonial History Of Ceylon(SriLanka)
Sri Lanka: One Island Two Nations
A Brief Colonial History Of Ceylon(SriLanka)
Sri Lanka: One Island Two Nations
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Thiranjala Weerasinghe sj.- One Island Two Nations
?????????????????????????????????????????????????Saturday, June 10, 2017
Democracy Vs. Dictatorship : A lesson from Sri Lanka
Saturday, June 3, 2017
According to Sinhala Ravaya General Secretary Magalkande Sudaththa
Thera, stern action should be taken to arrest Muslim Ministers who
supported Muslim extremism, before Bodu Bala Sena (BBS) General
Secretary Gnanasara Thera was arrested. Sudaththa Thera told a news
conference that Muslim political factions were trying to label Gnanasara
Thera as another Prabhakaran who was igniting racism and causing harm
to the Muslim community.
“According
to them Gnanasara Thera is the worst criminal in the country and the
one who is destroying the archaeological sites in the country, the one
who has destroyed forest reservations and the one who bring drugs into
the country,” the Thera said. On the contrary, he said, Gnanasara Thera
raised his voice against the destruction of the Sinhala Buddhist
archaeological sites and the clearing of forest reserves in the country.
Speaking further Sudaththa Thera said several attempts had been made by
several extremists groups to assassinate Gnanasara Thera and contracts
had been offered to these groups. Obviously if the accusation of Thera
is real, police should give serious attention provided of course BBS
makes a complaint with relevant evidence. In this foremost Theravada
Buddhist country, where president, prime minister and IGP are all
Theravada Buddhists, there cannot be any chance for harassing and
intimidating reverent Buddhist monk by Muslim political factions.
Certainly it is a difficult thing to believe.
Attacks on Muslim religious centres
It
is true that a warrant had been issued to arrest Gnanasara Thera. In
this country warrants are issued and carried out by judiciary and police
when necessity arises, hence it is faulty to say that there is no one
in charge of issuing the warrant. Said warrant has been made after
complaints not only by Muslims, but also from Sinhala and Tamils. Hence
it is, totally unreasonable to believe that there is an attempt to
abduct Gnanasara Thera and assassinate him.
It is good that Sudaththa Thera said the BBS was not responsible for the
attacks on Muslim religious centres and that there should be credible
inquiries regarding these attacks. “We also condemn these attacks.
Investigations should be made to arrest Muslims who attacked their
mosques,” he said.
Thera also wanted many leaders arrested; the list included Chief
Minister Wigneswaran, NPC Sivajilingam, State Minister Vijaya Kala,
Minister Rishad Bathiudeen and NUA leader Azath Salley. We can compare
what is happening here with the democratic developments taking place in
Myanmar. There is much to learn from what is happening there, while we
could be an example for them to follow in the field of mass
participation for democracy.
On May 23, 2017 Myanmar’s State Sanga Maha Nayaka (MHN) Committee -
government appointed a group of monks responsible for regulating the
country’s Buddhist clergy, inspired by the new government and announced a
“four-point order” effectively banning the Organization for the
Protection of Race and Religion, known as Ma Ba Tha.
The latter was established on June 27 2013 and has spent the past four
years promoting its version of Buddhist nationalism. It successfully
lobbied for “four race and religion restrictions” which became law in
2015, with that attacked Suu Kyi. The former President U Thein Sein
supported the four proposals, so Ma Ba Tha threw its support behind him
and condemned the NLD ahead of the 2015 general election. When the vote
was drawing near, Ma Ba Tha stepped up its attacks on the NLD. But then
the NLD won. Initial speculation suggested that Ma Ba Tha would
disappear. Yangon Regional Chief Minister Phyo Min Thein said in July
2016 that the organisation was unnecessary. But it remained.
In Myanmar, before the democratic change, Right wing organisations
attacked National League for Democracy party (NLD) and Aung San Suu Kyi,
painting them as pro-Muslim and anti-Buddhist, while they conducted
pro-Buddhist social campaigns.
Suu Kyi was condemned as a western stooge with alien habits and
behaviour. Her defence of human rights was also considered to be due to
cultural influence of the west. It is somewhat similar to the campaign
of Mahinda who attacked Ranil as a product of western culture. They
never expected Suu Kyi to win but their hopes were shattered. Inspite of
a military controlled constitution a chance for democracy has emerged
in Myanmar. People's organisations have started to function, while
democratic Buddhist Sangha have come forward to counter sectarian racist
organisations.
Buddhist organisations
Even before the order announced on May 23 the MHN has tried to make
moves against Ma Ba Tha. On July 12, 2016 the MHN released a statement
declaring that Ma Ba Tha was an organisation not in line with existing
Sangha (Buddhist) organisation law and rules. But it failed to state
whether MBT was legal and didn’t clearly condemn it. We can compare this
with our Yahapalana measures taken against Lankan racist Buddhist
organisations; both are considered Theravada Buddhist countries. No need
to import liberalism from the west; Theravada thinking include
liberalism in general practice.
In Myanmar, despite its weak legal implications, the move still garnered
considerable praise from Myanmar democrats, although some were more
reserved in their assessment. However it is generally accepted that Ma
Ba Tha has largely stopped its anti-Muslim activities and anti-democracy
sermons. At the same time the organisation’s central leadership based
in Yangon has taken steps to distance itself from the hate-mongering of
its more provocative, controversial campaigners like U Wirathu and
likeminded groups such as the Patriotic Myanmar Monks Union and the
Myanmar National Network.
The MHN has attempted to take action against these other Buddhist
nationalist groups before the democratic take over. They banned U
Wirathu from preaching for one year. In defiance, he continued to tour
the country, asking his deputies to give speeches on his behalf and
playing pre-recorded speeches while he would sit with his mouth covered
with two pieces of red and black tape (red referring to the NLD flag and
black to Muslims).
Monks from the Patriotic Myanmar Monks Union and civilian Buddhists from
the Myanmar National Network and the Patriotic Association continued to
stir trouble. But most of those monks and people are now in prison,
facing trial, or in hiding. So the MHN order on May 23 could be the
final blow to Myanmar’s Buddhist nationalist movement. But the
anti-Muslim, anti-democracy, anti-human rights and anti-inclusion
discourses that Ma Ba Tha preached and propagated in the past four years
will linger among their staunch supporters.
According to the constitution military has control over two ministries.
Hence, another potential hurdle is that the military-controlled Ministry
of Home Affairs may not fully implement the MHN order. The state will
have difficulty in countering Ma Ba Tha’s four years of spreading
intolerant ideology across Myanmar. One cannot be sure of whether the
state, the Ministry of Home Affairs and Ministry of Religious Affairs
and Culture will quickly and effectively respond to Ma Ba Tha if it
comes back in another form. Similar to Lankans, the people of Myanmar
should intervene to release the constitution from dictatorial bonds, in
particular the ties to the military. Also the constitution should
protect the rights of minority nationalities.