A Sri Lankan Minister has reportedly called for the deportation of Maldivians who are currently seeking asylum in Sri Lanka.
Local media reported Minister of Technology Research and Atomic Energy, Patali Champika Ranawaka, as calling on the government of Sri Lanka to take action against Maldivians who are converging in areas within the country.
During a ceremony to launch Patali’s book entitled ‘Al Jihad Al Qaeda’, the minister allegedly claimed that foreigners were flooding Sri Lanka due to conflicts in other countries.
“Because of the internal tensions in the Maldives, thousands of its citizens are now in areas such as Dehiwela, Ratmalana, Nugegoda, and they are seeking political protection and [it] would be a tremendous problem to Sri Lanka in the near future,” the Minister was quoted as saying in the Sri Lankan publication ‘Mirror’.
Sri Lankan media claimed the minister had then called for the government to carry out a proper census and subsequently arrange for the deportation of those seeking asylum.
The minister’s comments were made in light of proliferation of Saudi ‘madrassas’ – religious teachers – who are accused of propagating extremist Islamic ideas in Sri Lanka.
The minister stated that there are roughly 700 madrassas currently teaching in religious schools in the country, and it had been established that the religious teachers had been connected to recent disputes within Sri Lanka.
A media official from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs told Minivan News today that it had “no comment” regarding the issue.
“If there is any comment regarding this issue made by the ministry, we will make it available to the media very soon,” he said.
Sri Lankan Minister of Technology Research and Atomic Energy Patali Champika Ranawaka was not responding to calls from Minivan News at time of press.
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Champika does not represent the majority view of Sinhalese - He is just one of the big mouth idiot in the Gov . - majority Sinhalese are living quite peacefully with Muslims, Tamils and other races in many parts of the country - I hope Gov. will do something to get rid of these bad elements in our society
Yes, I agree with you Navab Sahab! Even the word Male' is a Sinhala word. Meaning: necklace or garland.
Yeah Begum Saahiba! Mahinda must ask this fellow Patali Champika to resign!! He is offending his neighbour. He is offending his own people.
He does not know anything about economics. He does not know that Lanka Hospital is full of Maldivians.
Yeah, show me any Maldivian who is seeking political asylum in Sri Lanka.
Maldivians are here because of the International Schools in Sri Lanka.
And, this is a question of Economics. Wake up Pali Champika!!!
The International Schools require foreigners!!!!
This guy of whatever ministry happens to be a very short sighted guy... pple go to sri lanka to party.. to drink... to have a blast.. your business dear idiotic minister. and those pple, i wud say roughly 75% of a 100% are not extremists and neither will take part in those 'madrassas',,, again, its 'madhrasa' only pple to seek political asylum there are the current politicians at our state.. you can skin them for all you want but this comes at all maldivians... not one or two.. pple living nearby Dehiwela, Ratmalana, Nugegoda, kirulapone, etc are pple who go there for studies and medicals because thats the centre of development right outside your expensive colombo.. An average sri lankan spends 20,000 or less on monthly expenses while a maldivian spends 20,000 on beggers in your country in one day. so when you speak, do your homework. stuuuupid
Sri Lanka has helped erase a lot of fundamentalism in the Maldives itself.
President Nasheed studied in Royal College.
Wake up Palali Campika.
It is time to chase all these Muslims who hate peoples of other faiths and spread hatred and terrorism. The World should stand against this barbaric religion and eliminate them from this planet.
If maldivians looking citizenship of sri lanka there must be a necessary condition for them to apostate islam. In the history maldives was a buddhist country and their indigenous was sinhalese. I can see all these mess in maldives due to islam fundamentalism.
I am Sri Lankan and wanted to clarify that this minister is indeed a racial and hateful person, his eyes have been closed when the many Chinese have cluttered this country. He is a joke
Champika is not a Buddhist . Buddha preached peace and so are all his followers. He went to same school with bin laden and is an extremist. This media is crazy to publish this article.
This stupid Minister does not know the Sri Lankan government's (his own)policy towards Maldivians.
He does not know the meaning of universal love and mettha preached by Buddha.
He is spreading hatred. Mahinda! Be careful of this stupid fellow.
@Wives and Concubines
You sound like a lawyer? Are you a lawyer? You also sound like you like to write or type sitting up..
We do see your fancy references to an equally fancy '1400 year old book', that should tell you something. It will probably be a cold dark day in Hell before this country gets rid of it.
Whole this is created by Nasheed. Fili Nashed had met this minister in the past and he had some relationship with him.
99.99% of Sri Lankan love Maldives and its people onto few people who have been infected by the traitor Nasheed is trying to destroy this country.
Large population of sri Lankan are living and working here in Maldives.
Maldives is among the top 5 tourists to Sri Lanka also.
I called upon Srilankan not get Nasheed to ruin your country like he had done to Maldives.
Kuribee Gayooms Bug, Balaa Bodu Gayoom
God Bless Mahida Rajapakse. Maldives has been messed up by a Islamic radical backed mob of police officers and thugs funded by Gayoom and resort owners Gasim Ibrahim and Sun Travel Siyam. It a relief that Sri Lankan government has recognized this.. If you let Maldivian extremists settle in Sri Lanka, they will try to do the same... we have to get rid of Islamic radicals not only in Sri Lanka, but also in Maldives so we can get back to our Buddhist inspired roots.. where Islam may flourish only as moderate religion and where other regions are allowed.. At the moment, Islam is forced down the throats of all Maldivian whether they wish to be a Muslim or not... Sir Lanka and other countries should advocate and pressure the current rogue regime in Maldives to allow for freedom of conscience.. a right guaranteed by UN Human Rights Charter, of which Maldives is also a signatory.. although they have reserved the right not to allow freedom of religion...
Grant all those Maldivian Muslims refugee status and citizenship.
Don You better go f" live in stone age middle east Dont try to change our values. We dont treat our Women like that. Women should have the freedom of wearing anything they want. Malays are also muslims see how nice they live with others. they are moderate people.peole like you man(TELIBAN) are the problem with extremist Fanatic ideas.please leave srilanka go find refuge in mideast.
The mistake was made 800 years ago. Maldivians should never have converted to Islam. Buddhism is the best religion.
To My Maldivian Brothers !
I am a Sri Lankan and this Minister is racist towards the Muslim Community and now wants to boost his communal ego by Targeting Maldivians. With these type of Ministers Serving the Government we may lose genuine friends likes Maldives.
Muslims are around 9 percent and Sinhalese are 80 percent, only way Muslims will overtake Sinhalese is if the sinhalese self destruct....and by what's happening in the country, they are trying there hardest.....what a beautiful country....
Srilankans and this minister should first understand how maldivians help their economy. Apart from the number of families living in Colombo even the srilankan airline makes 5 flights to Maldives.aprt from these lots of srilankan are employed in the Maldives even the highest paid employee in the Maldives is a srilakan.as far as Muslims yes maldivians are Muslims but u can't find a country like Maldives which follows moderate Islamic.not the maldivians narrow minded politicians like u should be first deported u politicians led u r country down waging civil wars or else srilanka would have been not a cent less USA mr politician dude u need to wake and srilankans who support the, as well