The Supreme Court yesterday granted leave to proceed for a fundamental rights case (Case Number 19/2013 SCFR) filed on behalf of the Jeewana Alokaya Church in Weeraketiya, which was violently attacked on December 9 2012 and March 18 2013.
Attacks on Christian churches/ File Photo/ AFP
The green light from Sri Lanka’s top court comes just days after two churches in Galle were attacked by a mob led by robed individuals. The Supreme Court granted leave to proceed based on the Freedom of Speech and Expression, Article 14 (1) (a) and the Right to Equality, Article 12 (1) and Article 12 (2) of the Constitution of Sri Lanka 1978. Mr. Chrismaal Warnasuriya (Attorney-at-Law) Counsel for the case together with Nalaka Jayasuriya and Indika Udeshkumara, junior lawyers, appeared on behalf of the petitioners.
The National Christian Evangelical Alliance of Sri Lanka issuing a statement welcomed the decision calling it a “step toward recognizing the right to religious freedom and equality as guaranteed by the Constitution.”
Read more on attacks on Churches here
Backlash / January 22, 2014
Is this sudden love for due judicial process anything to do with
the oncoming UN/HRC in Geneva? If it is, such a shame on our Courts
system that seems to do what is expected of it only when nudged by
what goes as the Executive.
Backlash
/
Arlene / January 22, 2014
Whay are people so nkind?
My (newly married) husband Elmo and I are keen worshippers at a Seventh Day Adventist church in rural Galagedara. Our recently converted priest Lasindu Kalhara who has already become well versed in the Bible also had to go through the same trauma about six months ago. Elmo and I personally complained to the police but they did not take any action.
Elmo, having lived overseas in Canada for several decades after protesting to land reform that took all his ancestral lands away from him, is finding it really hard to understand this persecution.
If things do not change, we plan to go back to Canada from this waste land. I have alredy applied for my partner visa. Hope i will be successful.
/
ela kolla / January 22, 2014
kindly get lost
/
Sangakkara / January 22, 2014
why don’t you lead the way ?
/
Ceylonese / January 23, 2014
Whoever, Whatever you are a disgrace to humanity. People like you are a blessing for those who feel deeply the wrath of God to Sri Lanka. History will remember you as a Satanic Devil in Human Form.
/
Sangakkara / January 22, 2014
Arlene,
So sorry to hear your plight. Sadly our nation is ruled by thugs from top to bottom. We need people with integrity to rise up and bring forth a regime change, else like yourselves many other good Sri Lankans will be flying off to brighter shores.
/
Senerath K / January 22, 2014
Arlene, Get the visa and stay put. Fight…. and get it back.
Every Rajafuksa supporter is a parasite who love other people’s hard earn money or their property. This is a pattern of SLFP since 58. whenever a SLFP based begar regime come to power its supportes occupy any small plot near bus stands railway stations holspitals and put up a ‘thakaran’ hut with some unevenly cut stolen planks and cardboard, and plant some ‘mayyokka/bathala’ around the hut.
So dont move or dont give up, fight for it.
We will have to dissolve this regime and SLFP once and for all in order to prosper or get our peaceful beautiful Ceylon back.
/
Off the Cuff / January 22, 2014
Dear Arlene,
I am sorry to hear your plight. But unfortunately the buddhist monks here are not really buddhist.
Remember we are an island soaked in blood. We love to kill and have been doing it since1948.
We first got rid of the burghers then the Tamils and now we target Christians and Muslims, we just seem to love to do that. I explain this behavior as the “triple blessing effect”.
Without any historical evidence we believe that we are triply blessed and are free to kill minorities as we like while saving cows on full moon days LOL
/
MrRetort / January 22, 2014
Just like before the CHOGM Chairman PS Tangalle accused of murder of UN British national was taken up for hearing, but what happened after the CHOGM, he was bail out fly away and looks like gone for good into oblivion. This is another eye wash exersice like that.
/
Don Stanley / January 22, 2014
The culture of impunity that the Saffron clad thugs of Sri Lanka enjoy with patronage of the Jarapassa brothers – to attack religious and ethnic minorities must END and religious and cultural freedom must be restored.
This is the first step. The corrupt and cowardly Muslim political leaders and businesses that were attacked by Balu Sena tuhgs and did nothing should learn from the example of Christian Leaders today. Muslim leaders have NO PRINCIPLES and have sold out to Jarapassa whose project is DIVIDE, DISTRACT and RULE the communities of Sri Lanka – with the help of Sinhalaya Modayas.
Gotabaya Jarapasss and his Saffron wave BBS thugs are been destroying Buddhism in Sri Lanka and this also must be STOPPED. Sinhalas are a disgrace to Buddhism in the world today.
/
Orpheus / January 22, 2014
This is the most degrading thing for Venerable Sanga and Buddhist Philosophy! Now the entire world will know about them because of this few “Cheevara Dharees”. Mahanayakes of all Chapters must take this seriously and derobe the priest who behaved like hooligans near PM’s office and at Hikkaduwa. Most Ven Sobitha is claiming damage for insulting the Sanga by the PM. I think judges should be convinced that all the “Cheevara Dharees” are not venerable and it is not an insult. It could have been wrong to address most venerable Sobitha personally. This is a good point for PMs lawyer to not to pay Rs 1b, unless Ven Sobitha uses the money to build an orphanage or a Dhamma Sala for Agunakola Palassa, Sudharshanarama Sunday school where children will be thought to not to interfere with other peoples beliefs and not to behave like hooligans.
/
Muhandiram / January 22, 2014
Through the anti-Muslim hate speach by Bodu bala sena,we loose more Budhists.(as Budhists are motivated to learn Islam by thug sena).yesterday too two educated families were converted to islam in Kegalle district.what Ulama council suppose to do is done(propagate Islam) by Bodu bala sena.
/
Burning_Issue / January 22, 2014
I was waiting for this situation to come by. A “fundamental rights” case has been filed, which means an individual’s right to freely practice he’s/her religion in this context. Buddhism has been given a foremost place and the state is entrusted to protect Buddha Sana in the Constitution. The question is, can fundamental rights of a non-Buddhist prevail over the Buddhists who claim that evangelical Christianity is inimical to Buddhism? What I can foresee is that the Supreme Court will prevaricate and various people will put pressure on the plaintiff to withdraw the case! So the status of Buddhism is not legally challenged!
/
Abhaya / January 23, 2014
it cant be dum dum the constitution is the highest law .
/