03 May, 2013 - An international human rights group has denounced the arrest of a
Sri Lankan Muslim politician who accused the government of sponsoring Buddhist nationalist
groups in carrying out a series of anti-Muslim campaigns. Amnesty International said
in a statement issued Thursday that Azad Sally should be released or charged with
a crime. Officials said Sally was arrested because of conduct that could damage ethnic
harmony. “Azad Sally's arrest, and the harassment he has faced over the past weeks,
is indicative of the climate of fear government critics in Sri Lanka are forced to
live under. He must be released immediately or charged with an internationally recognizable
criminal offence,” said Polly Truscott, the group's deputy Asia-Pacific director.
Truscott said Sally was the latest victim in a crackdown on dissenting views in Sri
Lanka. Sri Lanka's government has been accused of persecuting dissenting journalists,
rights activists, politicians and officials in its effort to tighten its grip on power.
Buddhist nationalist groups in recent have carried out campaigns including attacks
on Muslims' places of worship and businesses. The groups say that their ethnic group,
which makes up almost 75 percent of the country's 20 million people, is under threat
by the 9 percent Muslim minority. (Source: AP)