Sri Lanka’s foreign minister threatened with arrest after voting for gay rights at UN-Minister is accused of violating the country’s ban on homosexuality
Posted on June 10th, 2015
BY DARREN WEE Courtesy gaystarnews.com
Sri Linka’s Foreign Minister Mangala Samaraweera should be arrested for voting in favor of gay rights at the UN, an MP has said.
Wimal Weerawansa, leader of the National Freedom Front, said the minister had violated the country’s penal code by voting against a Russia resolution calling for the withdrawal of partner benefits to gay and lesbian UN employees.
‘Being gay and lesbian-friendly has become our foreign policy today. This will result in negative consequences in the long run for Sri Lanka,’ he told reporters on Tuesday (9 June).
‘It will affect our culture. Therefore, the minister should be arrested for violating the penal code.’
Gay sex and romance are banned in Sri Lanka under a broad ‘gross indecency’ law.
UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon extended marital benefits to lesbian and gay employees last year, without consulting member states.
Russia then brought its resolution, which was defeated by a majority vote – including that of Sri Lanka.
Deputy Foreign Affairs Minister Ajith P Perera categorically denied that Sri Lanka had voted to promote gay rights and said the circular was an administrative matter.
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June 11th, 2015 at 6:22 am
Gay Rights are a difficult subject to address. However, it has to be faced and addressed. A group of psychiatrists and doctors in Lanka ought to address the issue in a sympathetic manner. Discreet behavior by gay people is requested by one and all.
But if Minister Samaraweera got the chance to address the UN at this point in time, he ought to have brought up the subject of CASTE in Tamil Nadu. CASTE is the bottom line problem in Tamil Nadu. It is the CASTE FACTOR IN TAMIL NADU that is being exploited by one and all to Terrorise and Destabilise Lanka to form a separate State for Tamils only. The Negative backlash from such a State for both Lanka and India needs not be told again and again.
Minister Samaraweera ought to have taken the chance and offered a solution to the MAIN PROBLEM that besets Lanka through Tamil Nadu. He ought to have suggested that Tamil Nadu issues new Birth Certificates sans Caste. This would ensure peace for the entire region.
Has he and the new govt in Lanka the courage to do that ?