Where are the voices of doves?
It is already stale information that Wimal Weerawansa, the leader of National Freedom Front (NFF), has advocated that the parliament should be ‘bombed’ if the proposed draft constitutional reforms receive the required two-thirds majority. But I could not help but read with alarm and concern that a political party leader in this country could say this and face no repercussion. I fully support the right to free speech but with it comes clear responsibility not to harm others or incite violence - a responsibility that should be taken seriously especially if you're a politician.
This is a clear attempt to intimidate and derail the process of reconciliation when the country has already given the government mandate to amend the Constitution to ensure Sri Lanka does not regress but progress to become a fully democratic country that respects all its citizens equally so we can flourish regardless of our race, faith, gender etc.
We must not sleepwalk back into a time of intimidation and powerless again, and it's all of our responsibility to ensure such aggressive speech against the country's elected parliament, hence all its people isn't simply accepted as the norm. I urge the appropriate authorities to investigate this in line with rule of law as such threats should not be tolerated in any country.
This appears to be an effort to stop the government from fulfilling its commitment to bring all people in Sri Lanka together at last and one must ask what does National Freedom Front stand to gain by this.
Perhaps for a country that's truly at peace, there won't be a role for a party such as this.
D. Pillai
Colombo
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