Political crisis: SLAAS calls for calm and tolerance

By Ifham Nizam

The Sri Lanka Association for the Advancement of Science (SLAAS), which comprises more than 6,000 active members, and is the apex learned society of the scientific community, have observed with dismay the dire economic situation in the country, which has steadily worsened over the last several months, and is deeply concerned about the accompanying social unrest and political instability.

The SLAAS, representing the scientific community and an important part of the network of scientists in the country, says it stands ready to advise and assist President Gotabaya Rajapaksa’s government in any way necessary to achieve this transition, and as scientists and researchers, to do what is necessary to make that transition a success.

Prof. Manuj C. Weerasinghe, General President of the Sri Lanka Association for the Advancement of Science, urged all sides to act with calm and mutual tolerance, without confrontation.

“With all due respect, we especially urge Your Excellency’s government and its agents to respect the rights of protesters and demonstrators to express their views in a non- violent manner. At the same time, we urge the demonstrators to act with patience, responsibility, and restraint in this volatile situation,” he said in a statement.

He said that they believed that if solutions, whether immediate or long term, were to be found for the grave crisis and wanted inputs from the best brains in the country.

“We respectfully urge that such professionals be swiftly identified, perhaps with the help of their respective professional institutions, and appointed to key positions, as well as boards and panels which will be entrusted with the responsibility of making well-reasoned and transparent recommendations regarding the courses of action to be followed. We further urge that those recommendations then be followed, unless valid reasons can be given for not doing so.”