Jaffna Muslim Community International writes to the UN

Jaffna Muslim Community International, A France based diaspora organisation has sent a brief letter to the UN urging it's involvement to end the ongoing violence against Sri Lankan Muslim community in Sri Lanka.

Prof. Fernand de Varennes

Special Rapporteur on minority issues

Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights

Palais des Nations

CH-1211 Geneva 10

Switzerland

EXTREMELY URGENT

LETTER FOR CALLING TO END ANTI-MUSLIM RIOTS IN SRILANKA

We, Jaffna Muslim Community International (JMC-I) write to bring your immediate attention to the continuing anti Muslim riots in Srilanka. There had been riots and arson attacks against Muslims since the weekend in Teldeniya in

Kandy District of Central Province following the riots in Ampara District of Eastern Province in Srilanka on 26th February 2018. While a man killed, several people injured and several Muslims’ habitats, Muslims-run shops, mosques have been attacked by Buddhist hardliners in both riots. Srilanka has presently been facing a heavily tense situation and with impending riots by Sinhalese mobs against Muslims due to recent unprecedented hate campaigns.

As you may be aware, in 2014, three Muslims were killed in riots stirred up by Buddhist hardline groups. President Sirisena was elected the following year after a campaign in which he promised to solve the issues faced by ethnic minority Tamils and Muslims, but the violence against Muslims has not ended. More than 90 attacks and anti- Muslims incidents have been reported since 2015, including arson at Muslim-owned businesses and petrol-bomb attacks on mosques and perpetrators have almost never been arrested and prosecuted.

At this time, JMC-I recalls the recent The State of the World’s Human Rights report for 2017 to 2018 by Amnesty International in which Sri Lanka has been listed among countries unsafe for Muslims. Further, we recall that Sri Lanka has been ranked 37th in 2017’s Peoples under Threat index and Tamils and Muslims have been marked as communities under threat by Minority Rights Group International.

In the context of continued failure of the government in enforcing law and order to take stern action against hardline Buddhist groups who are openly engaged in hate-campaigns and attacks on Muslims in Srilanka, we strongly urge a durable solution for the anti-Muslim issues, with the specific intention of securing justice for the Muslim people through an international mechanism. Thus we urge to prevent further hat-campaigns, violations and human rights abuses and ensuring that third parties such as the UN and other relevant authorities fulfill their obligations under international law in taking action to halt the systematic and gross violations of human rights being perpetrated against the Muslims – a religious minority, by the Buddhist hardliners.

We, through this letter seek support from UN and relevant authorities to urge the government of Srilanka to take persistent steps for reconciliation ensuring minority rights and religious freedom for a sustainable peace and co-existence in the country.

Yours faithfully,

Fasleem Suhood

Interim-President