20 December, 2020
This is an exclusive interview conducted with Prof. Rohan Gunaratna on strengthening ethnic and religious harmony in Sri Lanka. He is a Honorary Professor at the Sir John Kotelawala Defence University and Senior Advisor to its Department of Defence and Strategic Studies, Sri Lanka.
Q: How can Sri Lanka be protected from extremism and fundamentalism ?
A: Sri Lanka is not an exception to the global and regional rise of ethnic exclusivism and religious extremism. To counter ethnic assertiveness and religious separation, the government should take firm measures to protect the nation-state and its citizens.
First, create a policy and legal framework to maintain ethnic and religious harmony. Secondly, develop capabilities within intelligence agencies to detect and disrupt extremists inciting hatred and terrorists planning attacks. Thirdly, raise counter extremism units within law enforcement authorities to investigate and prosecute those disrupting harmonious relation