While looking for more news on the Sri Lanka Easter-weekend bombings, especially in Sri Lankan media outlets, I stumbled upon the Daily Mirror of Sri Lanka. Scrolling through the various news items regarding the bombings - the hints at the "radical" group behind the attacks yet not garishly spalshed across its pages, I came across this interesting bit of news and analysis:
Arrest of writer Sathkumara sparks debate on freedom of expression
From the piece:
On April 1, award-winning author and poet Shakthika Sathkumara was arrested and remanded on contrived charges of inciting religious hatred, a move that has been decried by artists, academics and free-speech advocates as setting a dangerous precedent against the freedom of expression. Mr. Sathkumara, a 33-year-old father of two, and Development Officer at the Nikawaratiya Divisional Secretariat, was arrested by the Polgahawela Police on a complaint filed by a group of monks of the Buddhist Information Centre led by the Ven. Angulugalle Siri Jinananda Thero. On February 25, this group had written to the Inspector General of Police (IGP), charging that the short story ‘Ardha’ (Half), penned by Mr. Sathkumara and posted on Facebook, was derogatory and defamatory to Buddhism, and had insulted the life of the Buddha and the Maha Sangha. Prior to this, the same group had complained against director Malaka Dewapriya for his radio drama series ‘Kanata Parak’.
I guess one can see "radicalism" and "fundamentalism" in all shapes and forms...
No comments:
Post a Comment