CWI condemns attack and requests solidarity
The Committee for a Workers’ International strongly condemns the brutal attack on the United Socialist Party (USP) by an organisation of Buddhist racist monks (BBS) in Sri Lanka today.
The USP had organised a motorcycle march to build opposition to the ongoing racist attacks on religious minorities. The motorcade was driving to Aluthgama, a town where Muslim shops and houses were attacked by organised Buddhist extremists earlier this month. (Report: http://www.socialistworld.net/print/6853)
Participants were distributing leaflets and discussing with local people about the reactionary and dangerous nature of the BBS. They were urged to join in the building of united action against any racist attacks or discrimination on language, national, religious or any other basis.
The BBS is a racist Buddhist monk organisation which has close ties with the current regime in Sri Lanka, itself accused of the murder of hundreds of thousands of Tamil-speaking people. The BBS recently conducted a campaign against the Tamil-speaking Muslims in Sri Lanka and promoting Sinhala chauvinism.
The USP organised the motorcycle march from Colombo to raise awareness of the brutal nature of the BBS and to demand a united stand by all working class people against such rotten organisations.
The march was stopped by the police. The police however did not protect the marchers against the racist monks when the BBS members came to attack the marchers. A number of USP members have been injured and a few of them taken to hospital.
The CWI condemns this attack. We urge all those appalled by this attack to join with us to build a stronger united movement against the BBS and against the dictatorial regime in Sri Lanka.
If the BBS thinks it can deter the opposition they are wrong.
Contact the United Socialist Party for further details.
Please also send solidarity messages to the USP ([email protected]) with copies to the CWI ([email protected])
We demand that:
All attacks on the Muslim community must be stopped immediately.
We defend the right and support the building of multi-ethnic democratic defence bodies against the mob attacks provoked by the BBS and the repression of the state, especially in the areas of the Muslim communities.
We fight for full democratic rights and workers’ rights including the freedom to form trade unions and parties to defend their economic and political interests.
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