BASL condemns hate speech

The damage will lead to irreparable and disastrous consequences to Sri Lanka, particularly to religious harmony which our nation cherished for centuries

The Bar Association of Sri Lanka (BASL) yesterday condemned incidents of hate speech and violence against racial and religious communities in Sri Lanka.

It said incidents of this nature were unacceptable in a democratic society based on the Rule of Law.

“The State must act against those who advocate hatred and incite discrimination, hostility and violence. The failure on the part of the State to apply the law would result in a culture of impunity with mob rule replacing the Rule of Law. The damage will lead to irreparable and disastrous consequences to Sri Lanka, particularly to religious harmony which our nation cherished for centuries,” the BASL said.

It said the Constitution had guaranteed equality to every person before the law and therefore it was the duty of the State to guarantee the security of all persons irrespective of their race or religion.

“We like to call upon the Inspector General of Police to take stringent measures to ensure that attacks against racial and religious communities do not occur, and also the Attorney General to expedite the prosecution of all suspects in a manner appropriate to the circumstances of offences,” the BASL said.