The leader of the Tamil National Alliance (TNA) has called the cremation of a controversial Buddhist monk in the grounds of a Hindu temple in Mullaitivu last month “a deliberate act of aggression” and called for those responsible to “be dealt with and appropriate action should be taken against them” in a wide ranging letter released this week.
Despite local opposition and a court injunction, a Buddhist mob led by Sinhala extremists defied the order and carried out the cremation at the Neeraviyady Pillayar Temple, whilst Sri Lankan police officers provided them with security.
“These actions indicate the failure of the Law enforcement process and also a violation of the order of the Court amounting to contempt of the Court,” Sampanthan said in a letter to Sri Lanka’s president Maithripala Sirisena.
“Those persons who violated the court order should be dealt with and appropriate action should be taken against them.”
“Action should be taken against the Police Officers who failed to implement the order made by the Court and who on the contrary were seen to be facilitating the actions of those persons who violated the Court order and cremated the corpse of the Buddhist Monk within the temple premises,” he added.
In his letter the TNA leader went on to state that a “Culture of Impunity has been growing in the Country in recent times as a result of the Law not being enforced against alleged offenders”.
Sampanthan added,
“The required investigations have not been conducted and appropriate action has not been taken against such alleged offenders accused of grave violations of Humanitarian and Human Rights Laws. An executive pardon has been given to a person convicted of contempt of Court. A promotion has been given to an officer accused of violations of the Law without due investigations being conducted and appropriate action being taken in respect of such violations.”
“Failure to independently investigate what happened at Neeraviady Pillayar Temple will only confirm and further encourage this growing trend of impunity and cause immense harm to the Country and all its people both nationally and internationally."
Read the full text of his letter here.
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