Burma's Wirathu Thera to attend BBS convention?

Friday, 26 September 2014 14:00

Ven. Ashin Wirathu Thera of Burma is to be an invitee of the Bodu Bala Sena's "Sangha Council convention on Sep. 28, 2014, reliable sources say.A letter opposing the visit of the Thera has been forwarded by the Muslim Council of Sri Lanka to the President and the Defence Secretary.Speaking on this regard to 'Sri Lanka Mirror', CEO of the BBS - Dilanthe Withanage said that leaders of several Buddhist organisations in Asia have been invited for the event.Opposing the arrival of Virathu Thera under such a backdrop through such a correspondence is a historical wrongdoing, the BBS CEO says adding that measures would be taken to seek legal redress against this through Buddhist organisations.

Speaking further, Withanage added, "There is a close relationship between the Wirathu Thera and the BBS's Gnanasara Thera. A BBS delegation recently visited Myanmar. We oppose torturing Muslims. We have explained our stance on that regard. We are happy that the violence in Myanmar has receded at least on a small scale after our visit."In the letter, the Muslim Council of Sri Lanka has expressed their concerns over the visit of Ven. Ashin Wirathu to Sri Lanka.In a letter to President Mahinda Rajapaksa, the MCSL has says, 'There are strong rumours that he has been invited by the Bodu Bala Sena to attend their Great Sangha Council meeting on the 28th of September 2014.''The Muslim Council of Sri Lanka, on behalf of the Muslim community in Sri Lanka kindly requests your Excellency to ensure that no visa is granted to Ven. Ashin Wirathu to visit Sri Lanka as he would pose a serious threat to peace in our beloved motherland,' the letter adds.The complete letter is as follows :September 25th 2014His Excellency Mahinda Rajapaksa,
President,
Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka,
Presidential Secretariat,
Colombo 1.Your Excellency,As you are aware, Ven. Ashin Wirathu is the dreaded leader of the 969 Movement in Myanmar. He is also known as the Butcher of the Burmese Muslims. As the leader of the anti-Muslim movement in Myanmar, he has been responsible for hundreds of Muslims murdered by extremist Buddhists.There are strong rumours that he has been invited by the Bodu Bala Sena to attend their Great Sangha Council meeting on the 28th of September 2014.Time magazine, with Ven. Ashin Wirathu in the cover page branded him as the face of Buddhist terror in Burma. Your Excellency, the presence of such a person who has caused so much violence on the Burmese Muslims would be a real threat to peace and peaceful co-existence in Sri Lanka. Many across the world have accused him of inciting violence against Myanmar's Muslim minority with fiery sermons claiming that the growth of Islam is putting Buddhism and Burmese culture at risk. His presence and speech at the Sangha Council meeting may incite further violence against the Muslims, similar to the speech of Ven. Galabode Aththe Ganansara Theros made in Aluthgama which caused the rioting in Aluthgama and Beruwela in June 2014. Further, the Government of Sri Lanka faces the possibility of being accused of tacit support to Buddhist extremist groups who are indulging in a hate campaign against minorities in Sri Lanka, if Ven. Ashin Virathu is granted permission to visit the country.We believe that the nexus between the Bodu Bala Sena and 969 organizations for an anti-Muslim campaign was initiated during the visit of Ven. Gnanasara Thero to Myanmar a few months back.The Muslim Council of Sri Lanka, on behalf of the Muslim community in Sri Lanka kindly requests your Excellency to ensure that no visa is granted to Ven. Ashin Wirathu to visit Sri Lanka as he would pose a serious threat to peace in our beloved motherland.Thanking you, Your Excellency for your immediate attention and necessary action.Yours sincerely,Hilmy Ahamed
Acting PresidentCC: Mr Gotabaya Rajapaksha
Secretary, Defense and Urban DevelopmentWirathu1 600px 14 09 26Wirathu2 600px 14 09 26