burma's wirathu thera to attend bbs convention
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Burma's Wirathu Thera to attend BBS convention?
Friday, 26 September 2014 14:00
Ven. Ashin Wirathu Thera of Burma is to be an invitee of the
Bodu Bala Sena's "Sangha Council convention on Sep. 28, 2014,
reliable sources say.A letter opposing the visit of the Thera has
been forwarded by the Muslim Council of Sri Lanka to the President
and the Defence Secretary.Speaking on this regard to 'Sri Lanka
Mirror', CEO of the BBS - Dilanthe Withanage said that leaders of
several Buddhist organisations in Asia have been invited for the
event.Opposing the arrival of Virathu Thera under such a backdrop
through such a correspondence is a historical wrongdoing, the BBS
CEO says adding that measures would be taken to seek legal redress
against this through Buddhist organisations.
Speaking further, Withanage added, "There is a close relationship
between the Wirathu Thera and the BBS's Gnanasara Thera. A BBS
delegation recently visited Myanmar. We oppose torturing Muslims.
We have explained our stance on that regard. We are happy that the
violence in Myanmar has receded at least on a small scale after our
visit."In the letter, the Muslim Council of Sri Lanka has expressed
their concerns over the visit of Ven. Ashin Wirathu to Sri Lanka.In
a letter to President Mahinda Rajapaksa, the MCSL has says, 'There
are strong rumours that he has been invited by the Bodu Bala Sena
to attend their Great Sangha Council meeting on the 28th of
September 2014.''The Muslim Council of Sri Lanka, on behalf of the
Muslim community in Sri Lanka kindly requests your Excellency to
ensure that no visa is granted to Ven. Ashin Wirathu to visit Sri
Lanka as he would pose a serious threat to peace in our beloved
motherland,' the letter adds.The complete letter is as follows
:September 25th 2014His Excellency Mahinda Rajapaksa,
President,
Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka,
Presidential Secretariat,
Colombo 1.Your Excellency,As you are aware, Ven. Ashin Wirathu is
the dreaded leader of the 969 Movement in Myanmar. He is also known
as the Butcher of the Burmese Muslims. As the leader of the
anti-Muslim movement in Myanmar, he has been responsible for
hundreds of Muslims murdered by extremist Buddhists.There are
strong rumours that he has been invited by the Bodu Bala Sena to
attend their Great Sangha Council meeting on the 28th of September
2014.Time magazine, with Ven. Ashin Wirathu in the cover page
branded him as the face of Buddhist terror in Burma. Your
Excellency, the presence of such a person who has caused so much
violence on the Burmese Muslims would be a real threat to peace and
peaceful co-existence in Sri Lanka. Many across the world have
accused him of inciting violence against Myanmar's Muslim minority
with fiery sermons claiming that the growth of Islam is putting
Buddhism and Burmese culture at risk. His presence and speech at
the Sangha Council meeting may incite further violence against the
Muslims, similar to the speech of Ven. Galabode Aththe Ganansara
Theros made in Aluthgama which caused the rioting in Aluthgama and
Beruwela in June 2014. Further, the Government of Sri Lanka faces
the possibility of being accused of tacit support to Buddhist
extremist groups who are indulging in a hate campaign against
minorities in Sri Lanka, if Ven. Ashin Virathu is granted
permission to visit the country.We believe that the nexus between
the Bodu Bala Sena and 969 organizations for an anti-Muslim
campaign was initiated during the visit of Ven. Gnanasara Thero to
Myanmar a few months back.The Muslim Council of Sri Lanka, on
behalf of the Muslim community in Sri Lanka kindly requests your
Excellency to ensure that no visa is granted to Ven. Ashin Wirathu
to visit Sri Lanka as he would pose a serious threat to peace in
our beloved motherland.Thanking you, Your Excellency for your
immediate attention and necessary action.Yours sincerely,Hilmy
Ahamed
Acting PresidentCC: Mr Gotabaya Rajapaksha
Secretary, Defense and Urban DevelopmentWirathu1 600px 14 09
26Wirathu2 600px 14 09 26
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