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Aluthgama, Beruwala incidents have tarnished country’s image - Ranil

29 Jun 2014 - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

The Aluthgama and Beruwala incidents had not affected the Muslims alone but the entire country as its image had been tarnished, said Opposition Leader Ranil Wickremesinghe today.

Mr. Wickremesinghe who met those who were affected by the recent clashes in Aluthgama last afternoon said the incidents had affected the country’s image as it had made the entire world perceive the Sinhalese as a barbaric set of people. He said a hate speech which was made before the riots broke out had been videoed and sent all round the world with English subtitles, and this alone had tarnished the country’s image to a large extent.

He said this tarnished image should be restored forthwith.

Mr. Wickremsinghe said the incidents would harm the tourism sector as well, since a large number of tourists used to come from Middle Eastern countries to see the Esala Perahera. He said this year would be different as many bookings had been cancelled after the riots.

The opposition leader said this adverse situation should be rectified as soon as possible.

He called for the banning of all extremist groups. “No Islamic, Buddhist or Christian extremist group should be allowed to exist,” he said

He faulted the police and the government for not taking adequate precautions to prevent the clashes. He said the assault on the Buddhist monk in Aluthgama and the burning of houses and shops there should be investigated. “Nothing would have happened if these who assaulted the monk were arrested immediately,” he said. (Yohan Perera)

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Aluthgama, Beruwala incidents have tarnished country’s image - Ranil

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