22 July 2022 05:10 pm Views - 2458
While condemning the attack on Galle Face protesters, National Movement for Social Justice Chairman Karu Jayasuriya said the right to dissent and to express one's opinions as well as to protest peacefully must be protected.
He said in a statement that the attack by security forces targeting the citizen’s struggle at the Galle Face Green which has been capable of bridging forward Sri Lanka’s politics to a critical turning point, must be strongly condemned by all parties who appreciates and aspires to maintain democracy in the country.
"In a democratic society, the right to dissent and to express one's opinions as well as to protest peacefully must be protected. We must all admit that no particular section of society can engage in a solitary struggle apart from the aspirations of the society at large. This is why the Galle Face struggle took place in a highly charged and active manner. Therefore the leaders of the country must realise that even a leader with immeasurable power was forced to flee as the struggle and the people’s aspirations coincided in a remarkable manner," he said in the statement.
"According to reports, the protestors were expected to hand over and leave the President’s Secretariat building the group were occupying in recent days. If so, it was an intelligent and correct decision taken by them. Therefore given the circumstances no party can now justify the launching of this inhumane attack on the group. This incident only shows the unwillingness or inability of our country's political society to resolve crises and differences in a civilised manner. Eliminating this culture from the country is the responsibility of the entire society. But it is the political authority of the country that should take the lead to achieve this end, Therefore, we earnestly request the entire society to come together with determination to free Sri Lanka from the tragic situation it is facing today and to create an environment that will not allow such heinous acts from happening once more," the statement added.