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| Photograph: ColomboPage |
Sri Lanka’s Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe said the Tamil National Alliance has agreed to ensure Buddhism is protected and continues to hold the foremost place on the island, in a speech this week, a charge that the party has denied .
Reassuring a group of Buddhist monks in Kolonnawa, Mr Wickremesinghe said, “We do not have a problem with regard to giving priority when protecting Buddhism”. “All Parties in Parliament today, including the Tamil National Alliance, have agreed to keep the articles protecting Buddhism unchanged in the Sri Lanka Constitution," he continued.
However, on Monday evening, the TNA tweeted a video of parliamentarian M A Sumanthiran denying the prime minister's remarks and stating that all religions must be treated equally in any new constitution.
"Some are experts at protecting Buddhism through their words, but are equally adept at destroying the religion through their actions,” Mr Wickremesinghe added. “As a State, the President, myself and all of us, protect Buddhism, not through words, but through our actions.”
He went on to state that it was the duty of the state to ensure Buddhism continued to hold the foremost place across the island. "Same as protecting Buddhism, it is our duty as citizens of Sri Lanka, to build a Nation where we accept and respect the different religions and cultures as well," he said.
His comments come as talks around a new constitution continue to be clouded in secrecy, with TNA MP M A Sumanthiran telling a Tamil audience in Karavetty, that there "are reasons for the silence we keep".
The Tamil parliamentarian said that his party had made progress, and that the government has made key concessions in talks. “We have given in on everything such as land powers, police powers and on changes to the governor model,” he quoted a government minister as stating to him.
"We have belief that our people will trust us," continued Mr Sumanthiran. "When the interim report is published, everything will be revealed; till then people should keep faith. "
Note: This article has been edited to clarify M A Sumanthiran's comments in Karavetty. See the full text of his translated speech in our story below.