Sitsabaiesan urges Sri Lanka to uphold constitution, protect minorities

By srilank / in News

NDP MP Rathika Sitsabaiesan (Scarborough–Rouge River) made the following statement on mob attacks in Sri Lanka:
“I strongly condemn the attacks in Sri Lanka. Three Muslims have already been killed during mob attacks while many others have been severely injured. My thoughts and prayers are with the victims and their families.
Sri Lanka has faced many ethnic violent crimes in the past, and this is another crime to add to that expanding list. The Government of Sri Lanka has continually stated it would protect its people from such hatred and violent crimes, yet still no action has been taken. In the Sri Lankan Constitution it states in Chapter III: Fundamental Rights, “12(1) All persons are equal before the law and are entitled to the equal protection of the law. (2) No citizen shall be discriminated against on the grounds of race, religion, language, caste, sex, political opinion, place of birth or any one of such grounds.”
The Government of Sri Lanka needs to follow its own constitution and protect its citizens from such violent crimes.
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The Canadian Government needs to encourage the Government of Sri Lanka to uphold its Constitution and protect those who are being violently harmed due to their ethnicity and religion.”
Sitsabaiesan cited the Sri Lankan constitution.

Sitsabaiesan cited the Sri Lankan constitution.

Sri Lankan-born Canadian MP Rathika Sitsabaiesan urged the Sri Lankan government to uphold its constitution by protecting its citizens in the wake of deadly ethnic violence in southern Sri Lanka.

“I strongly condemn the attacks in Sri Lanka. Three Muslims have already been killed during mob attacks while many others have been severely injured. My thoughts and prayers are with the victims and their families, NDP MP Rathika Sitsabaiesan for Scarborough–Rouge River said in a statement today.
Sitsabaiesan, elected in 2011 is the first person of Sri Lankan origin to hold federal office, urged the Canadian government to take steps to encourage Sri Lanka to protect minorities.

The NDP MP went on cite the Sri Lankan constitution, and the rights and freedoms enshrined to all Sri Lankans.

“Sri Lanka has faced many ethnic violent crimes in the past, and this is another crime to add to that expanding list. The Government of Sri Lanka has continually stated it would protect its people from such hatred and violent crimes, yet still no action has been taken. In the Sri Lankan Constitution it states in Chapter III: Fundamental Rights, “12(1) All persons are equal before the law and are entitled to the equal protection of the law. (2) No citizen shall be discriminated against on the grounds of race, religion, language, caste, sex, political opinion, place of birth or any one of such grounds,” she added.

“The Government of Sri Lanka needs to follow its own constitution and protect its citizens from such violent crimes. The Canadian Government needs to encourage the Government of Sri Lanka to uphold its Constitution and protect those who are being violently harmed due to their ethnicity and religion.”