“We do not see any valid reason to call the Army for assistance.  Further there is strong grounds to show that the normal procedure adopted to disperse a crowd was not followed and it is clearly seen that persons who were running away were pursued and attacked by entering private premises and places of worship.” says the BASL Standing Committee of Rule of Law.

Secretary to the MOD Gotabaya Rajapaksa

Issuing a statement its Chairman Lal Wijenayake says; It is unlikely that an extraordinary action such as calling the army to disperse a protesting crowed would have been taken without orders from the highest level..

We publish below the statement in full;

The standing committee of the Bar Association of Sri Lanka on Rule of Law at an emergency meeting of the committee considered the brutal attack on persons who were involved in a protest at Weliweriya and resolved as follows:

We vehemently condemn the attack on protesters at Weliweriya since it is the democratic right of the people to dissent and protest, individually and collectively within the law.  It is our view that this action which is manifestly a planned action is motivated by the desire to suppress the legitimate right to dissent and protest, as we see this action as the culmination of a series of attacks by the police on students, trade unions and even lawyers.

We do not see any valid reason to call the Army for assistance.  Further there is strong grounds to show that the normal procedure adopted to disperse a crowd was not followed and it is clearly seen that persons who were running away were pursued and attacked by entering private premises and places of worship.

It is unlikely that an extraordinary action such as calling the army to disperse a protesting crowed would have been taken without orders from the highest level.

We call upon the government to appoint an impartial and independent commission consisting of respected persons with the highest integrity to hold an inquiry and report immediately of the many aspects of the incident.

The inquiry should be open and transparent and the public should be allowed to testify before the commission.

We of the lawyer’s fraternity will offer its professional services to the victims of this brutal assault to seek relief before such a commission or other means by recourse to law.

We are of the strong view that civil society groups should take a united stand to condemn this action and to take further steps to see that the right to dissent and protest is respected in our country.