A Buddhist organization has accused the current government of attacking all religions on behalf of the Colombo port city, seriously disregarding the law of the land.
The National Council of Intellectuals has made this allegation while handing over a message to the Ministry of Buddha Sasana Religious and Cultural Affairs which is under the control of the Prime Minister while holding a protest in front of the Supreme Court which has filed a number of cases against the Port City Economic Commission Bill.
The Frontline Socialist Party (FSP) had staged a protest in front of the Hulftsdorp court yesterday (19) morning under the theme “Let’s defeat the Port City Commission Act which is sacrificing people to global capital and imperialist struggle”.
The National Council of Intellectuals has handed over a letter to the Secretary of the Ministry of Buddha Sasana Religious and Cultural Affairs yesterday (19) stating that three sections of the Port City Economic Commission Bill are unconstitutional.
In his letter, Ven. Omalpe Sobhitha Thero, Chairman of the National Council of Intellectuals, points out that Articles 52, 53 and 73 of the Colombo Port Economic Commission Bill, introduced in Parliament on April 8, 2021, are contrary to Article 1978 of the Constitution, especially Article 5 of the 1815 Constitution; That the culture, identity, security, religious freedom of the people, and sustainable development created by the Sixth Amendment to the Constitution are being eroded.
The above three clauses in the Colombo Port City Economic Commission Bill state that the religious and sustainable development and civilized livelihoods protected by the people of Sri Lanka through Buddhism and the Buddha Sasana should be violated and a social system deviating from the Pentateuch should not be allowed. The National Council of Intellectuals says.
“The Port City of Colombo Economic Commission loses the pre-eminence of Buddhism enshrined in Articles 52,53 and 73 of the 1978 Constitution, Article 9 of the 1978 Constitution and deprives the government of its responsibility to safeguard and nurture the Buddha Sasana.”
Since the above Act violates the precedence given to Buddhism as enshrined in the Constitution, which is the name of the Constitution, according to Article 83 of the Constitution, the above three sections of the Bill are law only after the approval of the people by a referendum.
Accusing the theme of the Port City Act of being ‘one country-two laws’, the National Council of Intellectuals further points out that one part of the country has a law for excise, betting, casinos and the other part of the country, the port city, has no law for that.
The National Council of Intellectuals further emphasizes that the constitution has the same effect as the name of one part of the country and that it does not have that effect in the port city part.
“This is a deprivation of the effect of Article 9 on the port city zone.”
Exemption from enactment of Excise (Special Provisions) Act, Customs Protection Act, Betting and Gambling Act, Entertainment Tax Act, Foreign Exchange Act, Casino Business Regulation Act etc. in the port city is not limited to the Buddhist culture of Sri Lanka. The National Council of Intellectuals has further emphasized that it is an attack on religions and a breach of the religious value system.
The Secretary of the Ministry of Buddha Sasana, Ministry of Religious and Cultural Affairs has sent a copy to the Attorney General’s Department of the National Council of Intellectuals asking them to take action to protect Article 9 of the 1978 Constitution in taking further legal action regarding the Colombo Port City Economic Commission The letter further stated that
The Free Trade Zones and General Services Employees Union had earlier protested in a letter to the President and Prime Minister Rajapaksa brothers that the present government was seriously disregarding the law of the land on behalf of the Colombo Port City.