SL SIDED WITH UN ON SAME-SEX COUPLES’ ISSUE: NFF

Country’s religious values compromised

The National Freedom Front yesterday charged that the government had violated Sri Lankan law and Foreign Policy by voting against a proposal to stop the United Nations extending staff benefits to all same-sex couples at the UN General Assembly budget committee in March.

Addressing a media briefing NFF Media Spokesman Mohammed Muzammil accused the government of leading the country towards a cultural destruction while the country that is already experiencing political and economic instability due to the government’s course of action.

The proposal presented by the Russian government failed at the UN budget committee to stop the UN extending staff benefits to all same-sex couples after the committee voted 80 to 43 against the proposal and 37 nations abstaining.

As a country deeply rooted in Buddhist philosophy and its teachings, Sri Lanka is enriched with various cultures which have been protected for centuries. Even in the Sri Lankan Penal Code, homosexuality is a non-bailable offence and encouraging it is also an offence.

Mr. Muzammil said among India, Saudi Arabia, China, Iran, Egypt, Pakistan and Syria which voted in favour of Russia’s proposal, Sri Lanka was the only South Asian country that opposed the proposal.

“As a country deeply rooted in Buddhist philosophy and its teachings, Sri Lanka is enriched with various cultures which have been protected for centuries. Even in the Sri Lankan Penal Code, homosexuality is a non-bailable offence and encouraging it is also an offence. But, the government has accepted homosexuality publicly. It is clear that the government has violated the country’s law and trivialized our foreign policy internationally,” he charged.

The NFF Spokesman asked as to who took the decision to back homosexuality which has become a much-talked about topic in the world recently. “However, this action indicates the government’s attempts to deviate from long lasting policies of the country,” he said. Russia’s proposal called for the withdrawal of the administrative ruling of UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon in July 2014 to recognise all same-sex marriages of its staff, allowing them to receive UN benefits.