CSOs are reacting to the NGO Secretariat Circular on 1st July.

The reactions are coming up from all the corners to the 1st July circular of the director NGO secretariat.
Following is the CSO statement which we want to send to NGO secretariat.
At the same time there will be a People's Gathering on the statement on 17th July, 4.00-5.00 pm at in front of the Fort Railway Station.

UPHOLD FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION AND FREEDOM OF ASSEMBLY

Against the backdrop of the growing authoritarianism of the Rajapaksha regime identified by:

a)       the dangerous and deepening deficit in democratic governance in our country as attested to by institutionalized militarization, the collapse of the rule of law and religious intolerance and

b)       the corrosive culture of impunity in respect of human rights violations and the demonstrable ineffectiveness of human rights protection mechanisms,

c)       as well as the shrinking of space for civil society and the denial of a civil society contribution to public policy discourse,

We the undersigned organizations unequivocally condemn the politics of religious intolerance and hate speech directed against the religious minorities most recently demonstrated by the orchestrated violence against the Muslim community  and the failure to hold accountable those instigating/responsible for the violence. We also categorically reject the arbitrary attempts by the regime to muzzle civil society through directives of the Ministry of Defence with no basis in law and in violation of Sri Lanka’s constitutional guarantees and international obligations and pledges, in addition to being flagrant violations of the fundamental rights of the freedom of speech, expression, assembly and association.

We resolve to come together in an alliance to:

a) combat this authoritarianism and reverse it,

b) strengthen human rights protection in our country,

c) advance the politics of toleration and

d) ensure that our country is a multi- ethnic and multi-religious functioning democracy whose governance is firmly rooted in the fundamental values and principles of democratic governance for all of its peoples without fear or favour.

We further resolve to expand our alliance to all civil society actors who agree with our basic values and aims and who have a demonstrable record of their commitment to them without qualification.  

Following is the banner display and circulate on the People's Gathering on 17th July.