President Maithripala Sirisena is to meet leaders of all mainstream religions to establish a long-term religious reconciliation programme, Justice and Buddhasasana Minister Wijeyadasa Rajapakshe told a media briefing at the Government Information Department yesterday.
“The President will meet religious leaders and ministers today to discuss public disturbances caused by religious disharmony among various groups and on the long-term measures to be taken to secure religious harmony and social reconciliation,” Minister Rajapakshe said.
The media briefing was on the progress achieved by the Buddhasasana Ministry in 2016 and the ministry’s action plan for 2017.
“Religious tension among groups are an obstruction to maintain law and order in a country. There are four ministers responsible for religions in Sri Lanka. We have already discussed the trends in religious tensions among certain groups among the community. We have reached the religious leaders who are involved in these public disturbances. In these discussions, we came to an initial agreement to work out solutions to religious tensions by way of discussion and not violence,” he said.
Responding to a question regarding a restriction order on a group of monks to enter an area in Batticaloa, Minister Rajapakshe said it was not a case of the government not allowing certain groups to enter an area, but police had obtained a court order not to allow this group to use a certain path leading to the temple in question.
The police was tipped off that another group was planning to pelt stones to cause conflict among two religious groups. Thus, it was a measure taken to diffuse tension and avoid a conflict between the two groups, Minister Rajapakshe said.
Commenting on the same incident, the minister said that no citizen should ignore or be isrespectful towards a court of law.
He was referring to the incident where the group detained in Batticaloa tearing the court order given to them by Police.
Legal action could be taken against this act, based on Contempt of Court, Minister Rajapakshe said.
“These religious issues are very emotional. It is only through discussion and understanding that we could come to a lasting religious harmony,” Minister Rajapaksa said.
“Nobody can accuse the government of favouring or not favouring a certain religion. The citizens of this country have the freedom to follow a religion they prefer. No provincial council can take that right away from the people.
The Buddhasasana Ministry is paying special attention to temples that were not maintained or conserved due to war. For 30 or more years, the government has not made allocations to conserve temples in war affected areas. We are going to take special measures to carry on conservation and restoration programmes for temples in these areas.” Rajapakshe said.
“Rs. 680 million is allocated by the Budget 2017 to the Buddhasasana Ministry. Organising the International Vesak festival in May 2017, holding the National Vesak Festival and establishing an International Buddhist premises in Piliyandala are some of the key plans of the ministry for 2017. The premises will include a Buddhist Centre, a library, an E-Library, meditation centre, a vegetarian canteen and other infrastructure facilities. The ministry is also planing to launch drug-abuse prevention programmes, language studies programmes and training for Dhamma school teachers,” Buddha Sasana Ministry Secretary Chandraprema Gamage said.