{"id":109688,"date":"2013-10-10T16:25:18","date_gmt":"2013-10-10T10:55:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/?p=109688"},"modified":"2013-10-16T12:38:41","modified_gmt":"2013-10-16T07:08:41","slug":"the-democracy-is-to-be-silenced-and-protest-banned-in-the-month-of-november-for-the-chogm","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/index.php\/the-democracy-is-to-be-silenced-and-protest-banned-in-the-month-of-november-for-the-chogm\/","title":{"rendered":"The Democracy Is To Be Silenced And Protest Banned In The Month Of November For The CHOGM"},"content":{"rendered":"

The CHOGM meeting is scheduled to begin on\u00a0November 15. The\u00a0government of Sri Lanka has banned protests in the city of Colombo in\u00a0the month of November. The government has taken this action under the\u00a0Public Security Regulations and directed that protests, marches and\u00a0any display of banners and black flags is banned during the first\u00a0three weeks of the month. The special regulations will be in place in\u00a0areas that are to be occupied by CHOGM<\/a><\/span> delegates during the three\u00a0weeks of activities in November.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>It is in this strange atmosphere that the Commonwealth Heads of\u00a0Government are to meet. In its long history the CHOGM has never been\u00a0held at any time under such a tough security situation where the\u00a0citizens of the country are prevented from letting their views be\u00a0known to the delegates of the Commonwealth. The imposing of such\u00a0conditions is completely opposed to the very spirit of the\u00a0Commonwealth and its core values.<\/p>\n

Many big meetings involving the heads of many states have been held\u00a0in Colombo since its independence in 1948. On no such occasion have\u00a0such draconian security measures been imposed on the city even during\u00a0the periods of insurgencies in the south as well as in the north and\u00a0east.<\/p>\n

Already the Prime Minister of Canada has announced that he will not\u00a0attend this meeting in protest against the undemocratic and repressive\u00a0practices of the Sri Lankan government. From around the world many\u00a0other organisations have also expressed strong protests against the\u00a0holding of this meeting in Colombo.<\/p>\n

The result of this security regulation will be the arrest of any\u00a0persons and the taking of legal action against Sri Lankans and others\u00a0who would want to exercise their democratic rights during the time of\u00a0this meeting.<\/p>\n

The problem that the Commonwealth heads of government have to face\u00a0now is as to whether they would wish to attend a meeting under such a\u00a0chilling atmosphere where they will be denied the opportunity to\u00a0listen to the views of the people of the country as well as others who\u00a0wish to make their opinions known to the delegates at this meeting.<\/p>\n

*Statement from the Asian Human Rights Commission<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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