Siva Parameswaran
The scars of the Digana anti-Muslim riots will take a long time to heal or may not even heal for generations going by the unwillingness of the state and its statutory bodies.
It is almost 7 years since the perpetuated riots by ‘racist’ Sinhalese people on the socially-economically impoverished Muslim people in the small town of Digana in Kandy district, in which few were butchered and burnt to death and many so brutally attacked they are handicapped for life.
However, even after such a brutal riot the ‘investigation report’ by the Human Rights Commission of Sri Lanka (HRCSL) is yet to be published as promised.
The commission had earlier promised its report on the ‘Digana riots’ would be published in December 2024 for the year to pass by.
Now local journalist MIM Musadique has written to the Commission urging it to make its findings at least under this government.
More than 8 Decembers have passed since the riots took place in Digana in March 2018, which saw properties worth millions being ransacked, burnt, and destroyed apart from the loss of lives.
The planned violence was perpetuated against the upcountry Muslims allegedly with the support of the police and state agencies.
A recent documentary by senior journalist Shanmuganathan Parthiban brought out hitherto unknown facts and the state of shock under which the affected families and communities still continue to live amidst fear, with justice not being rendered.
The documentary was released in July 2024 with what could be considered solid proof that the security agencies had a hand in the riots.
The HRCSL was forced to investigate the riots after much delay. But the report is yet to be released with serious questions being raised by those affected and the public about their intention and inability.
After the documentary was released, the HRCSL assured its report along with recommendations will be made public before the end of 2024. This however was not to be despite one of its commissioners Dr. Gehan Dinuk Gunatilleke telling the media their investigative report will be out by the end of the year.
With no signs of the report being released as promised before the end of 2024, Kandy-based journalist MIM Musadique wrote a letter on behalf of the affected Muslims to the HRCSL on the 30th of December, pointing out that the commission has failed them once again.
His letter says the report has not been published. This is despite them having written so many letters, reminding them of their commitment and deadline, since the riots occurred
In his letter, apart from the disappointment of the report not being released for nearly 7 years now, he has appealed to the HRCSL to make the report public at least under the new government.
“Apart from this incident being spoken in the Parliament for the last 6 years, I humbly request the new government which has come to power to release the report quickly”.
The affected Muslims have started demanding an international investigation into the riots saying they have lost confidence in the country’s judicial mechanism.
The ‘Digana Riot’ has gone down in Sri Lankan history as one of the most significant attacks on minority communities.
Even today many Muslims who have lost their income and livelihood due to the planned riot are struggling to get back to normal life. They were, however, able to partially rebuild their businesses with support from various organizations.
The affected people to date allege that the government at the time did not provide them the paltry compensation promised.
Eyewitnesses say at least six mosques, 37 houses of Muslims, 46 commercial establishments, and 35 vehicles were reportedly damaged in the attack carried out between March 4-7, 2018 in Kandy, Digana, and Teldeniya areas.
