The Sri Lanka Muslim Congress (SLMC) has extended its support for the Illankai Tamil Arasu Katchi’s (ITAK) hartal to be held in the Northern and Eastern provinces on Monday (18), to protest the alleged killing of a man by soldiers from the Sri Lanka Army.
The body of 32-year-old Edirmanasingam Kabilraj was found in the Muttaiyankattu Tank on 09th August, two days after he and four others were reportedly summoned to the army camp and severely beaten.
Issuing a statement in support of the hartal, the SLMC said, “We are outraged by the recent killing in Mullaitivu, reportedly carried out by members of the Sri Lankan Army. This brutal act is yet another reminder of the deep crisis of law and order within the very forces that are tasked with protecting the public.”
The SLMC further said that the government’s inability or unwillingness to hold its armed forces accountable for such grave crimes has eroded public trust and endangered the lives of innocent civilians.
The SLMC pointed out that equally disturbing is the government’s attitude in granting visa-free entry to tourists from Israel, many of whom are members of the Israeli Defence Forces (IDF), a force widely condemned for violations of International Humanitarian Law in Gaza.
Such policies send the wrong signal at a time when our own citizens are facing violence and injustice at the hands of armed forces, the party said.
“We stand in full solidarity with the hartal announced by the Illankai Tamil Arasu Kachchi (ITAK) on Monday, 18th, as a peaceful protest demanding justice, accountability, and the immediate end to impunity within the military. We call upon our Muslim brothers and sisters across the North and East to join this collective stand by closing their shops and businesses—at least during the morning hours of Monday, 18th,” the SLMC said.
The party went on to note that this united action will send a clear and powerful message that all communities, Tamil and Muslim alike, reject violence, oppose injustice, and will not remain silent when the government enables or excuses the abuse of power.
“Let us rise together in solidarity for justice in Mullaitivu for Mullativu killing and the safety of all citizens, and for a Sri Lanka where no one is above the law,” it added. (Newswire)
