Finance Minister Mangala Samaraweera emphasizes that the majority of people in Sri Lanka are Sinhala-Buddhists but this is the country of all Sri Lankans representing all religions.
The Minister made this statement addressing a meeting of UNP representatives of local government bodies in Matara yesterday.
Speaking further,
"If I wanted to be a cardboard hero, like some other elements ... I can say that this country is a country of the Sinhala Buddhists. I can threat other communities that you can't live here your way. I say that Sri Lanka is not only a country of Buddhists but a country of Sri Lankans.
The majority of the Sri Lankans are Sinhala Buddhists. We may not be able to impose our opinion on other people though we are the majority. "
Anybody in this country is not second class citizens. Even people who take citizenship today also benefit like other citizens.
It was also stated regarding the impact on the tourism industry caused by the Easter Sunday terrorist attack.
"This bombing has taken place during the off-season of tourism, and now we are ready to launch a program to bring tourists to Sri Lanka in the next six months", he said.
(Mirror)