Church of Ceylon calls for everyone to exercise discernment and restraint

The Church of Ceylon called for responsible conduct from all those who are wielding powers, the youth who are seeking change and the security forces and police who are expected to maintain the peace to exercise discernment and restraint at this crucial time. 

They said in a statement that the state of emergency should not be used to suppress the fundamental rights of our people or cause harm to peaceful assembly. 

“We are deeply concerned at the unfolding events of our country. We seem to be having a President in exile, an acting President on the ground and a Prime Minister under siege. The Parliament appears to be in total disarray unable to reach consensus on how to navigate the present crisis,” the statement added.

“We call on the people to remain calm in the face of turmoil and resist any attempts to destroy state property.

We sincerely hope that all stake holders will value the need to be conscious of our obligation to protect our resources and act with wisdom for the greater good of the country. We cannot afford to slide to a state of anarchy,” it further said.