A petition has been filed at the Court of Appeal requesting the invalidation of a letter issued by the chairman of the Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority (SLTDA) which reportedly grants permission for a tourism‑promotion project involving the LGBTQ community.
The petitioners, led by Dr. Gundadasa Amarasekera and Dr. Vasantha Bandara of the Patriotic National Movement as respondents the Attorney‑General, the Minister of Foreign Affairs Vijitha Herath, SLTDA chairman Buddhika Hewawasam and the executive director of the NGO Equal Ground.
The petition alleges that the SLTDA chairman sent a letter to the NGO’s executive director granting “no‑objection” status for the implementation of a tourism related project involving the LGBTQ community. The petitioners contend this constitutes an improper exercise of the chairman’s authority.
Following public backlash and opposition from senior Buddhist monks and Catholic clergy over the disclosure of the letter, the petition states that Prime Minister Harini Amarasuriya told Parliament that the government has no intention of promoting LGBTQ tourism in Sri Lanka. It also notes that Foreign Minister Vijitha Herath made a similar statement.
The petition alleges that, in issuing the letter, the SLTDA chairman acted unilaterally and contrary to stated government policy, thereby violating provisions of the Constitution and the Penal Code.
As such, the petitioners are requesting the Court of Appeal to issue a writ invalidating the letter and to impose an order preventing the promotion of LGBT tourism in Sri Lanka. They also seek an interim injunction prohibiting the SLTDA chairman from taking any further steps to support such tourism initiatives. (Newswire)