CHATURANGA PRADEEP SAMARAWICKRAMA 
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Scholar monks urge Govt. to address root cause of unrest
A Collective of respected Buddhist scholar monks today urged the Government to take immediate action against extremist groups while focusing on the root cause of the Aluthgama and Beruwela riots instead of accusing the Buddhist monks of the violence that erupted there.They said Buddhist monks were compelled to be vociferous when voicing their concerns about extremist groups in the country because the relevant authorities had failed to take action against them.
“Buddhists and Buddhist monks are being suppressed by everyone today. The opportunists in both the government and the opposition keep labelling monks as terrorists only because they are raising their voice against extremist groups. Based on these claims, the international community assumes there is Buddhist terror in Sri Lanka,” Ven. Medagoda Abayatissa Thera told a news conference in Colombo.
While condemning the violent incidents that occurred at Aluthgama and Beruwela, the Ven. Induragare Dhammarathana Thera said opportunists were using these incidents to embarrass the Buddhist monks.
“The action of the monks is similar to an antidote to the virus of extremism. Authorities should cure the virus instead of destroying the antidote,” he said.
Ven. Agalakada Sirisumana Thera said the purpose of their news conference was not to inflame more violence and that they were not opposed to the Muslim community.
“What we oppose is Muslim extremism. We can’t remain silent when there is a threat to the country and its people. The monks had the tradition responsibility of protecting the country from any harm,” the Thera said.
Meanwhile Ven. Madagama Dammananda Thera accused Minister Rajitha Senaratne of attempting to place the responsibility for the violence on the Buddhists. (Lahiru Pothmulla and Yoshitha Perera)+
Pix by Kushan Pathiraja
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