Inter-religious violence:

BASL urges zero tolerance

The Bar Association of Sri Lanka has called upon the state to maintain a zero tolerance of intra and inter-religious group violence and to strictly enforce the laws of Sri Lanka against those found to have engaged in such criminal activity.

It also calls upon the Police to take prompt, necessary and appropriate and impartial action according to the law, to prevent intra and inter-religious disputes aggravating into the committing of offences, unleashing of violence and causing harm to peace and public order.

And whereas, the conduct of the state, its citizens and other persons who are in Sri Lanka, including the conduct in the sphere of religious activities and resolution of intra-religious disputes, should necessarily be in accordance with the rule of law.

The Bar Association of Sri Lanka has taken note of a few recent sporadic unfortunate incidents of inter-religious tension and breaches of the law, which have the potential of causing damage to the social fabric of the multi-ethnic and multi-religious society of Sri Lanka and carry the possibility of resulting in harming the peace and harmony between members of several ethnicities and religious faiths and denominations prevalent in Sri Lanka.

Calls upon the State to ensure that inter-religious peace and harmony exist and is fostered in Sri Lanka, and to take necessary action to promptly, impartially and peacefully resolve intra and inter-religious disputes, conflicts and other situations that have the potential of causing harm to the freedom of religion and religious harmony, in accordance with the Constitution and other laws of Sri Lanka.

It also calls upon members of different religious faiths to respect the Fundamental Right to have a religion of one's choice and practice and engage in the rights, rituals and practices of such religion.

The BASL urges all Sri Lankans and others in Sri Lanka to engage in their religious rights, rituals and practices in accordance with the law, in a peaceful manner, and in a manner that would not infringe upon the rights of others.

It calls upon all Sri Lankans and others in Sri Lanka to resolve intra and inter-religious disputes in a peaceful manner, and ideally through direct or facilitated negotiations, mediation or conciliation, and if such amicable settlement of such intra or inter-religious disputes are not possible or successful, through adjudication by having recourse to the law and courts of law.

And calls upon the state to comprehensively examine the prevailing body of the substantive law of Sri Lanka with the view to considering whether it would be necessary to legislate and enact new laws that may be required to prevent the occurrence and propagation of inter-ethnic and intra and inter-religious intolerance, hatred and disunity and instigation of violence, particularly using the print and electronic media and the Internet.