{"id":128506,"date":"2014-07-29T13:13:35","date_gmt":"2014-07-29T07:43:35","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/?p=128506"},"modified":"2014-08-09T13:10:11","modified_gmt":"2014-08-09T07:40:11","slug":"strong-linkages-between-rajapaksas-and-bbs-us-state-department","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/index.php\/strong-linkages-between-rajapaksas-and-bbs-us-state-department\/","title":{"rendered":"Strong Linkages Between Rajapaksas And BBS – US State Department"},"content":{"rendered":"

Strong linkages between the Rajapaksa regime and the Bodu Bala Sena<\/span><\/a> (BBS) have been highlighted in the International Religious Freedom Report 2013<\/span><\/a> released by the US State Department few days ago.<\/p>\n

In its references to Sri Lanka, the report notes that local media and NGOs have noted \u2018strong linkages between the BBS and the government, particularly Secretary to the Ministry of Defence\u00a0Gotabaya Rajapaksa<\/span><\/a> who appeared prominently at public BBS events during the year.\u2019<\/p>\n

\"Gota<\/a>It further notes that despite the Constitution and other laws and policies that are in place to protect religious freedom in Sri Lanka, in practice, the government as well as local authorities have failed to respond effectively to communal violence including attacks on members of minority religious groups and have also failed to bring perpetrators of such crimes to justice while also adding that a \u2018culture of impunity\u2019 protects the alleged Buddhist perpetrators.<\/p>\n

The content referring to Sri Lanka has also listed out several attacks against religious minorities in Sri Lanka that have mostly took place under the tacit patronage of the Rajapaksa regime including:<\/p>\n