Connect with us

News

UNP accuses govt. of oppressing people of one ethnicity

Published

5 years ago

on

The United National Party has written to religious leaders on the cremation of those who die due to coronavirus infection against certain religious rituals.

 Deputy Leader of the UNP Ruwan Wijewardene has, in a letter to the religious leaders, said that the cremation issue has got internationalised as the government has mismanaged it.

 The Deputy Leader says that the end result of this delay is that various forces that seek to discredit Sri Lanka nationally and internationally by exploiting such issues are emerging in various guises to create crises in society.

 “Therefore, immediate action should be taken with the intervention of the government to defeat these objectives and to strengthen mutual trust and commitment among the people,” Wijewardene has said.

Following is an English translation of the letter sent to the religious leaders:

“On the situation regarding the cremation of the corpses of people who died due to corona infection

“The crisis over the cremation of corpses of Muslims who died of corona infection is now being discussed not only in Sri Lanka but also internationally.

“We have decided to send this memorandum to inform you of the UNP’s position on the current situation regarding the corona bodies and to request your immediate intervention in this regard.

“The government should take a quick decision on the corpses of people who die due to corona.

“We would also like to inform you that it is the position of the UNP that a consensus should be reached after discussions with all communities.

“UNP Leader Ranil Wickremesinghe addressing the Working Committee Meeting held on the 23rd under his leadership presented the relevant proposal and we would like to inform you that the Working Committee unanimously approved the idea.

“Wickremasinghe suggested that it was the right of the relevant communities to decide whether to cremate or bury their dead, and that the government should consult with Buddhist, Hindu, Catholic and Muslim religious leaders before making a decision on the matter.

“We are of the view that all people can be addressed only if they are represented by responsible religious leaders representing all religions.

 “The UNP, as a party that has always given priority to Buddhism and is committed to protecting the rights and values of other religions, and recognizes inter-ethnic reconciliation, looks at this crisis from a broader perspective.

“It must be acknowledged that not only Muslims but also Catholics bury their dead. On the other hand, there are occasions when both Buddhists and Hindus bury their dead. There are also times when they cremate corpses. We must recognize that right as well.

“In this issue, we are of the stance that “by no means should people be segregated based on race, religion or caste and the real situation that exists must be discussed with religious leaders and no individual or group should be allowed to use such sensitive issues for narrow racist or religious purposes.”

“It is also important to look at how Korea, India and Germany have acted in this regard, as recommended by the World Health Organization.

“We are of the view that the recommendations made by the health sector should be highly regarded. It is imperative to pay close attention to the needs of the health sector. What needs to be done is to call all the religious leaders and the health authorities and take a quick decision

“Accordingly, we propose that the Department of Buddhist Affairs, the Department of Hindu Affairs, the Department of Christian Affairs and the Department of Islamic Cultural Affairs to hold preliminary discussions with the mediation of the Department of Health, and then take steps to hold discussions with religious leaders in coordination with the relevant departments.

 “The UNP is of the view that instead of negotiation with all parties and reaching a final solution, the government’s procrastination acting unilaterally, rabidly and oppressing people of one ethnicity and allowing this sensitive issue to become a national and international issue, will only indirectly help the forces that are trying to create negative attitudes towards our country in the international arena.

“Therefore, we take this opportunity to respectfully request you to intervene in this matter.”


Related Topics:
Continue Reading
Click to comment

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Latest News

Advisory for Severe Lightning issued to the Western, Sabaragamuwa and Southern provinces and Badulla and Nuwara-Eliya districts

Published

54 mins ago

on

2026/02/14

By

Advisory for Severe Lightning Issued by the Natural Hazards Early Warning Centre at 11.30 a.m. 14 February 2026 valid for the period until 11.30 p.m. 14 February 2026

Thundershowers accompanied with severe lightning are likely to occur at some places in the Western, Sabaragamuwa and Southern provinces and in Badulla and Nuwara-Eliya districts after 1.00 p.m.  There may be temporary localized strong winds during thundershowers.

The General public is kindly requested to take adequate precautions to minimize damages caused by lightning activity.

ACTION REQUIRED:

The Department of Meteorology advises that people should:
 Seek shelter, preferably indoors and never under trees.
 Avoid open areas such as paddy fields, tea plantations and open water bodies during thunderstorms.
 Avoid using wired telephones and connected electric appliances during thunderstorms.
 Avoid using open vehicles, such as bicycles, tractors and boats etc.
 Beware of fallen trees and power lines.
 For emergency assistance contact the local disaster management authorities.

Continue Reading

Latest News

Teacher recruitment examinations will be conducted in accordance with the relevant court decisions – PM

Published

11 hours ago

on

2026/02/14

By

Prime Minister Dr. Harini Amarasuriya stated that the forthcoming two teacher recruitment examinations will be conducted in accordance with the relevant court decisions pertaining to the ongoing legal proceedings and further noted that, taking into consideration the requests received, steps have been taken to make a request to Court’s approval to revise the conditions of the effective date of degree completion.

The Prime Minister made these remarks while addressing a meeting held at Monaragala Royal College to brief education authorities of the Monaragala District on the new education reforms.

Under the new education reforms, Smart Boards will be provided to 132 schools in the Monaragala District as part of the program to equip secondary schools with modern technology. As a symbolic step under this initiative, Smart Boards were presented to 10 secondary schools under the Prime Minister’s patronage. This program is being implemented with the intervention of the Digital Task Force operating under the Prime Minister’s Office. It was also emphasized that a new digital policy, formulated with special attention to child protection, will be introduced in April.

As part of her visit to the Monaragala District on the 13 th of February, the Prime Minister observed the implementation of the new learning methodologies introduced for Grade One under the new education reforms. She visited Kumbukkana Sri Shanmugam Tamil Maha Vidyalaya and Maduruketiya Maha Vidyalaya in Monaragala to observe the educational activities of Grade One students.

Considering the increase of student numbers and the development of infrastructure facilities, the Prime Minister also approved a proposal submitted by the School Development Society to rename Maduruketiya Maha Vidyalaya as Monaragala Dharmaraja Maha Vidyalaya.

Teachers briefed the Prime Minister that the new education system, supported by revised workbooks and activity-based learning methods, has proven to be effective, with students participating enthusiastically.

Addressing education officials further at the meeting held at Monaragala Royal College, the Prime Minister stated:

“Although this will not provide a complete solution to the existing teacher vacancies, these examinations can offer considerable relief. According to the Court’s previous determination, the effective date of degree completion had been set as 30.06.2025. However, considering numerous requests and following the cabinet approval we have sought Court’s consent to revise this date. We will act in accordance with the decision granted.

Funds allocated for school infrastructure must be utilized transparently and in line with proper planning, and progress must be reported accordingly. We cannot move forward by dividing ourselves along national, provincial, rural, or urban lines. As education authorities, you must make swift and accurate decisions based on correct data.

Further, discussions are already underway within the Piriven Committee of the Ministry of Education to develop Piriven education and to address the issues faced by Piriven teachers.”

The event was attended by the members of the Maha Sangha, Uva Province Governor Attorney-at-Law Kapila Jayasekara, Deputy Minister of Trade and Commerce R.M. Jayawardhana, Member of Parliament Ajith Agalakada, Uva Provincial Education Secretary Nihal Gunarathne, and several officials from the education sector.

[Prime Minister’s Media Division]

Continue Reading

Latest News

Low-pressure area is likely to form over the southeastern Bay of Bengal around 15th February

Published

11 hours ago

on

2026/02/14

By

Special Weather Bulletin issued by the Natural Hazards Early Warning Centre of the Department of Meteorology
Issued at 10.30 a.m. on 13 February 2026

A low-pressure area is likely to form over the southeastern Bay of Bengal around 15th February.

The general public are requested to be attentive to the future forecasts and bulletins issued by the Department of Meteorology in this regard

Continue Reading

Trending