It was a significant moment for the South Asia Policy and Research Institute (SAPRI) to participate in the Panel Discussion on “Remembering Aluthgama 2014: Equality, Social Justice and a new Constitutional Order”, in August 2016, to mark the second anniversary of the anti-Muslim violence in June 2014, in and around Aluthgama. It is these incidents of religious violence and hate speech as seen culminating with the Aluthgama incidents that urged SAPRI to commence an interfaith dialogue in an effort to build Religious Harmony in the country, with the first capacity building session taking place in Attanagalla in Gampaha District on August 2nd2014.
The Law
& Society Trust (LST), together with the Office of National Unity and Reconciliation (ONUR),
led the Panel Discussion on,“Remembering Aluthgama 2014”. The Bandaranaike Centre
for International Studies(BCIS) hosted the event. Former President Madam Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga was
the Chief Guest on the occasion.
The Panel Discussion was conducted by reflecting on the local and national ramifications of religious intolerance and the significance of constitutional reforms and transitional justice processes as a solution.The Discussion referred to the series of events that led to the culmination of Sinhala -Muslim ethnic unrest in Aluthgama, and reviewed its socio-political aftermath.
The first panel comprising Dr.Farzana Haniffa, from the University of Colombo; Ms. Darisha Bastians, Journalist; and Mr. A.R.M. Badiuddeen from Aluthgama;, focused on the conflict areas, highlighting the aspects that need addressing and placing them in relation to wider claims for justice, equality and inclusivity.
Building on
this, the second panel with Prof. Savitri Goonesekere former Vice Chancellor of
the University of Colombo, Dr. Harini Amarasuriya of the Open University of Sri
Lanka and Ms. Wije Nagaraj as panelists, reflected on some of the challenges
and prospects in relation to the realization of justice, minority rights and formal
and substantive equality through the on-going constitutional reforms and transitional
justice processes.
The Panel
Discussion, not only had contributions of prominent academics, media
representatives, the civil society and minority community leaders but also, activists, politicians, diplomats as well as legal personalities,
who voiced their opinions regarding the Aluthgama incidents and their aftermath.
Former
President Madam Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga, made the keynote speech on
this occasion. Addressing the gathering, Madam Kumaratunga emphasized the importance
of initiating a societal change to address religious and ethnic tensions. “We need
to change the hearts and minds of people. It is of paramount importance to make
people accept the necessity to live in harmony with each other, by accepting and celebrating diversity rather than rejecting it. Sri Lanka has so far failed
to achieve harmony because the leaders were afraid to speak to the people on
the need for harmony for a better society”.Madam Kumaratunga said.
The unrest
between Sinhala and Muslim factions in Aluthgama took place in June 2014, which
resulted in several deaths and destruction of property belonging to both Muslim
and Sinhala communities.
The occasion
of the panel discussion also provided the opportunity for the formal launching of
the publication, “Where have all the neighbours gone? Aluthgama Riots and its
aftermath: A Fact Finding Mission to Aluthgama, DhargaTown, Velipanna and Beruwela”,an
initiative of the Law & Society Trust.
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