Editorial - Gambling with the heritage of Sri Lanka

Leaders of all religions have appealed to the Government, ministers and MPs to vote against legislation to be presented in Parliament this week to approve the setting up of two huge casinos, which they say will seriously damage the spiritual and moral values, culture and civilisation of this country.

The Jathika Hela Urumaya’s two MPs have already announced they would vote against the legislation to approve the setting up of these two casinos,and we urge the government to allow other MPs to vote according to their conscience because this move might plunge Sri Lanka into the hellhole of a sin city of casinos and gambling, prostitution and massage parlours, mafias and heroin smuggling rings, money laundering and multi-million rupee insider trading similar to what happened in the local stock exchange.



The Congress of Religions issued the stern warning after a meeting attended by eminent Buddhist prelates. including the Ven. Kotugoda Dhammawansa Anunayake Thera, the Ven. Dr. Ittapana Dhammalankara Anunayaka Thera, the Ven. Dr. Bellanwila Wimalarathana Nayaka Thera, the Ven. Maduluwawe Sobitha Nayaka Thera and the Ven. Muruththetuwe Ananda Thera. The Catholic Church was represented by His Emminence Malcolm Cardinal Ranjith, the Archbishop of Colombo, the Hindus by Brahmasri S. Kuhanantha Sarma and the Muslims by the widely-respected social justice activist Javed Yusuf. They said that allowing casinos to grow into a bigger industry would erode the  religious, social, cultural, moral and fabric of society and questioned the basis of gambling with casinos as saying the disadvantages far outweighed the advantages.  Investment Promotion Minister Lakshman Yapa Abeywardena, who is also the secretary of the Amarapura Dayaka Sabha on Saturday issued a statement telling the religious leaders there would be no danger from casinos, but most independent analysts saw his statement as being similar to a game of porker with a joker.  

After the meeting of the Congress of Religions Sri Lanka got a taste of what could happen when these casinos go into full operation. An Associate of a local businessman involved in the casinos had invited some of the Buddhist prelates for a lunch or an almsgiving at an elite Indian restaurant in Colombo 7. Two of the prelates when asked by the media said they believed they were being invited for an almsgiving and were not aware of the connection with the casino businessman.
 In terms of rupees and sense, the economic factor alone shows how casino jacks are trying to become kings and turn anchors into crowns through these massive ventures in Sri Lanka.

According to UNP parliamentarian and top economist Dr. Harsha de Silva, in terms of the taxes imposed in the casino city of Macau, the tax holidays being offered to Australian casino magnate James Packer and the blue-chip local company which will be setting up the casinos, would amount to about  Rs. 120 billion a year. This, he pointed, out was more than the 2013 budgetary allocation for the vital areas of health and education.

For thousands of years Sri Lanka’s culture and civilisation have been founded on the hallowed precepts of the Buddha Dhamma and this country—despite the 30-year  war and its horrible consequences - is still respected as a  Dhammadveepaya. Are we allowing Mephistopheles, demon in the Faust legend to claim the soul of this Dhammadveepaya and are we selling it to him for a mess of casino pottage? We urge government leaders and MPs to reflect deeply before they gamble with the heritage of this
country.