Colombo, June 1 (NIA) – The Heads of Mission of the European Union, Australia, Canada, the Netherlands, Norway, South Africa and Switzerland, on Thursday strongly condemned incidents of hate crimes in Sri Lanka and called for prompt action to be taken against the perpetrators.
In a statement released by the European Union in Colombo, it said that the Heads of Mission together with other diplomatic representatives in the island country on Thursday visited a Muslim Mosque to meet leaders of the minority Muslim community.
The visit followed in the wake of attacks on mosques and businesses owned by people in the community.
The ambassadors expressed their solidarity and welcomed the clear condemnation for these hate crimes from Sri Lanka’s President Maithripala Sirisena and Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe.
They emphasised the importance of the rule of law and called for prompt action to ensure that the perpetrators of these crimes were swiftly brought to justice.
EU Ambassador Tung Lai Margue said, “Sri Lankans know all too well the consequences of religious and ethnic hatred. These reprehensible actions are intended to sow discord at a time when national reconciliation and tolerance is moving forward.”
He said it is important that the government and the police ensure that there is no impunity for hate crimes and it is important that religious communities are at the forefront of efforts to promote understanding and oppose the spreading of hate.
President Sirisena last month ordered his Law and Order Minister to thoroughly probe incidents related to racism in the island country and take stern action against those involved.
The president also instructed his cabinet that he would not tolerate any acts of racism and if any such attacks take place, then stern action would be taken against those responsible.