It is alleged that Rishad Bathiudeen, Sri Lanka's Minister of Industry and Commerce, has unleashed his racism yet again and went one step further by threatening the Judiciary itself.

The Muslim communal politician, who recently enraged the country by attacking Rt. Rev Rayappu Joseph (The Tamil Catholic Bishop of Mannar, respected by all Catholics and non-Catholics alike) and also vehemently scolding an eminent Sinhalese Buddhist Monk (Inamaluwe Sumangala Thero) duringDambulla Mosque issue, has set his political goons loose this time to attack a peaceful Tamil fisheries settlement in Uppukulam, Viduthaltheevu-and thereafter, himself threatened a Judge in Mannar who ordered arrest of the suspects in this attack.

The claim of the Muslim attackers, who set fire to several fisher houses, was that the settlement only belongs to the Muslims. Then, notwithstanding this, Rishad Bathiudeen proceeded to perform an even more dangerous act-threatening the Tamil Judge who issued orders to arrest the attackers and then going to the extent of visiting and meeting the Secretary ofthe Judges Association of Sri Lanka (JASL) to force him to elbow out the Judge from Mannar Courts-an attempt which failed drastically as the Secretary- JASL, stood his ground and safeguarded the Judge and the Judiciary.

Political Sources said that a few days ago, 'some Muslims calling they were fishermen of Uppukulam, Viduthaltheevu earlier displaced', have claimed that they have now returned to their original settlements they lived more than 20 years ago. As the so called 'returning Muslim Fishermen' asked the Tamil fisher community to vacate immediately from their houses and since the Tamil fishers have been living there for more than 20 years, they refused.

Despite the mediation by Police, there was no solution to the brewing tension. Then suddenly another set of Muslims visited the village and burn several houses of the settlement down. The Police promptly arrested 16 Muslims who were involved and requested Mannar Judge to settle the dispute.

The Mannar Magistrate had then ordered to resettle all the Tamil fisher families within the next three weeks and allow original Muslims to settle back. Hundreds of Muslim protestors shouting "the Tamil fishermen should go immediately and not after three weeks", suddenly converged on Mannar city in a previously organised deployment pattern, surrounded the Magistrate Courts and began pelting the complex with stones and whatever else they had in their hands.

Their victim, the Judge, had become the target of severe verbal abuse and serious threats of the elements present in the violent crowd.

It has now been revealed that the political supporters' attempt to surround the Magistrate courts with threats and stone pelting was not accidental nor sporadic but rather a previously well organized and planned operation managed by Rishad Bathiudeen MP himself.

Upon hearing the tense situation in Mannar, Rishad Bathiudeen immediately flew by a helicopter to Mannar from Colombo on 19 July. Interestingly, it has also been revealed that the helicopter transport was not a sudden, last minute arrangement but the helicopter was on stand-by for Rishad Bhathiudeen "for a couple of days already."

The Tamil Magistrate has revealed to the JASL that Rishad Bathiudeen MP has threatened him over the phone saying if the issues would not be solved immediately, Mannar town will burn with Muslim anger. "If you do not change the judgment, you too will have to face severe consequences" threatened Rishad Bathiudeen.

Legal sources also revealed that this act constitutes a severe threat and an insult to the independence of Judiciary and as a result, incurs legal punishment of one year imprisonment under the Constitution as well(Article 115 -- "Interference with Judicial Service Commission an offence: Every person who, otherwise than in the course of his duty, directly or indirectly, by himself or by any other person, in any manner whatsoever, influences or attempts to influence any decision of the Commission or of any member thereof, shall be guilty of an offence and shall, on conviction by the High Court after trial without a jury, be liable to a fine not exceeding one thousand rupees or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding one year or to both such fine and such imprisonment").

The JASL has now requested the IGP to arrest Rishad Bathiudeen and his supporters for threatening the Magistrate. In protest against this threat, Courts in Mannar, Vavuniya, and Jaffna staged a token strike on 20 July. Lawyers of Sri Lanka will also go on strike on 21 July in protest against Rishad Bathiudeen's act.

By Asian Tribune

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