In the past, Sri Lanka has been notorious for silencing voices that became too loud, of those who spoke truths that were unpleasant. While in the recent past things have appeared to be getting better, and activists have been allowed to voice their concerns without the intervention of authorities, some fear we’re seeing a shift in the trend.
There was the incident of 19-year-old Bhagya Abeyratne who made headlines over a statement made during the “Sirasa Lakshapathi Programme” where the authorities responded by attempting to prove her wrong. This went so far as two officers from the Rakwana Police station visiting Bhagya’s residence to obtain a statement. The swift nature of how the authorities reacted to the teenager’s statement has raised some questions about how the Government is dealing with freedom of expression, and with concerns raised about environmental matters.
There was yet another incident that took place on Friday, 19 March 2021. The Global Climate Action to #StopEcocideSL protest was directed at showcasing the devastation affecting Sri Lanka and addressing the concept of “Ecocide”. At the event, a mural was hung up by the organisers, a piece of art that was created to better depict the devastation wreaked due to rapid deforestation.
However, despite having acquired permission, the mural was taken down by the authorities.
There was adequate permission 
Speaking to Wildlife and Nature Protection Society (WNPS) Youth Wing Public Relations sub-committee Co-Head Shontaal Manuelpillai, she shared with us the origins of the mural itself and alleged that the authorities chose to interfere behind the scenes with their peaceful and creative attempt at drawing attention to ecocide.
The mural was a product of over 100 participants, some as young as age four, and was completed over five days. Manuelpillai said that originally the mural was supposed to be a decrepit version of the Viharamahadevi Park itself, to showcase side by side the natural beauty of the park and what it could be if it were to undergo deforestation, however, as more minds and hands joined the collaboration it was decided that it would be better not to limit themselves to the park alone and this one demonstration and have the mural be able to move around and so they decided to show the devastation of forest areas.
Manuelpillai shared the beat by beat takedown of the mural stating that after they completed the scaffolding work in thunder and lightning and hung up the mural at 1 a.m. on 19 March, she received a phone call saying that police has been asking for the mural to be taken down: “At around 8.30 a.m. I was told that there were several attempts to take down the mural by the authorities. They tried to take it down a few times, and put it back again saying it was blown away by the wind and finally around their fourth or fifth attempt, it was finally removed.”
She said that they actually paid a visit to Town Hall to clear up why they’re not allowed to keep the mural up, considering that their legal consultation had confirmed that they had adequate permission. She said the staff at Town Hall were of no help: “They were just passing the ball from one desk to the other and we were told that the mural was ruining the beautiful picture of the park”.
It would seem that there was a decision made which moved down the chain of command where a non-answer was given to the organisers to simply silence them.
We also spoke with the Wildlife and Nature Protection Society (WNPS) Youth Wing Co-ordinator Pavithra Aththanayake, who shared that it was confirmed to them that the permission which they acquired from the Colombo Municipal Council was adequate to put up the mural. However, as their initial goal was to get their word of #StopEcocide out to society they did not chase this alleged misuse of power from the side of the local authorities at Viharamahadevi Park.
She shared that due to this incident they were able to garner a lot of coverage to their core message and they are happy to have been able to create awareness around their cause.
Fundamental Rights
We also reached out to Attorney-at-law Harshana Nanayakkara who commented on the legality of the matter pointing out that it is indeed a stifling of expression. More specifically, it is a limitation of a fundamental right afforded by the Constitution of Sri Lanka – he said that in the Constitution, under the Fundamental Rights, Chapter III, Article 14 provides for the Freedom of speech, assembly, association, occupation, and movement.
Article 14. (1) Every citizen is entitled to – (a) the freedom of speech and expression including publication and (b) the freedom of peaceful assembly.
The only restrictions for the enjoyment of this particular right are laid out in Article 15 of the constitution as follows:
“The exercise and operation of the fundamental right declared and recognised by Article 14(1) (a) shall be subject to such restrictions as may be prescribed by law in the interests of racial and religious harmony or in relation to parliamentary privilege, contempt of court, defamation or incitement to an offence.”
“The exercise and operation of the fundamental right declared and recognised by Article 14(1) (b) shall be subject to such restrictions as may be prescribed by law in the interests of racial and religious harmony.”
Nanayakkara commented that we as citizens are allowed, by law, to freely express our opinion and unless it is in violation of a law, so long as it is not illegal, and in cases where there is no element of illegality if your expression is stifled then our rights have been unlawfully restricted.
“The banner was their way of expressing their opinion, to have it taken down, what law did it violate?” he asked, adding also that the mural was not causing any destruction to public property, and it was not even a permanent fixture. He stated: “It is unfortunate that the government got scared of little children expressing their thoughts.”
The morning of the demonstration, the matter of the mural getting taken down spread like wildfire, and the peaceful collaborators of the movement - Wildlife and Nature Protection Society – Youth Wing, Wildlife and Nature Protection Society of Sri Lanka, Extinction Rebellion Sri Lanka, The Pearl Protectors, Earth Guardians Sri Lanka, Climate Action Now Sri Lanka, and Rally For Animal Rights & Environment (RARE), all shared that while the intervention of the authorities and the obstruction of their art piece has at the very least allowed them to reach a wider audience due to the outrage media that followed the incident, they all collectively condemned the political narrative that has been rearing its head amidst the conversation, stating that they do not endorse any individuals or parties who are involved with political parties and that the movement is strictly apolitical.
Otara Gunewardene, who attended the demonstration on 19 March, also shared her thoughts on the matter: “I am here to support the youth groups who have gathered here today and of course I support what they do and I’m also like them - very caring and conscious about what happening with our environment and the fact that we all have to unite to achieve the change we all want in Sri Lanka. Because we are all one, we are all connected, one affects the other and we have to look at everything as a whole to make a positive difference.”
Addressing the taking down of the mural by the authorities without providing any reasoning behind their intervention, she said: “It is unfortunate because it was done by the youth, some were very young as well, and they spent a lot of effort and it was really just to show that they care for the environment. That they care that there is deforestation happening now and it has been happening for a while now and they just wanted to have their voice heard and see a difference happening in the future for Sri Lanka and instead of supporting them, the authorities actually went against them which is very surprising and it is unfortunate. It would have been better if they supported them and helped them, to convince them that they can make a change together. It is not against anybody, they did it to communicate that they want a change for Sri Lanka and for the future, you have to listen to what the youth are saying and the citizens and work together to make a change.”
The other side
While there is overwhelming support toward the young environmentalists, there is always another side to the story, and we reached out to media analyst Nalaka Gunawardene, who shared his thoughts on the matter, drawing some attention to the fact that one must make note of all the facts before jumping on the bandwagon - whichever a view is more popular and sensational.
He said: “In recent days there were conflicting media reports on the ‘Ecocide’ mural at the Viharamahadevi Park being taken down by police. The organisers (WNPS Youth Group) claimed they had obtained permission from the Colombo Municipal Council (CMC) that manages the Park, but CMC’s Commissioner was quoted in the media as saying that ‘safety measures had not been taken when erecting the banner’.
“If the activists indeed had all permissions, and if they had also followed all safety precautions, the mural’s abrupt removal can be called an unfair restriction on the freedom of expression. But in a disputed case like this, not having been there, I can’t be sure who was right or wrong. However, I have seen from time to time some activists behaving as if their noble end justifies their questionable means,” he said, adding: “My particular concern is with some environmental activists making various claims of massive environmental damage that are not backed by adequately rigorous evidence or analysis. Some get irritated or turn abusive when scientific evidence is demanded -- do they expect everyone to believe in their doom-mongering as an act of faith?”
In closing, Gunawardene stated that Sri Lanka faces formidable challenges in managing its environment and natural resources. It is heartening to see young citizens becoming more concerned, but passion alone cannot solve problems. Passion should be the “launching pad” to knowledge-based activism where complex issues are studied and understood and realistic solutions are discussed and pursued.
Speaking to Wildlife and Nature Protection Society (WNPS) Youth Wing Public Relations sub-committee Co-Head Shontaal Manuelpillai, she shared with us the origins of the mural itself and alleged that the authorities chose to interfere behind the scenes with their peaceful and creative attempt at drawing attention to ecocide.
The mural was a product of over 100 participants, some as young as age four, and was completed over five days. Manuelpillai said that originally the mural was supposed to be a decrepit version of the Viharamahadevi Park itself, to showcase side by side the natural beauty of the park and what it could be if it were to undergo deforestation, however, as more minds and hands joined the collaboration it was decided that it would be better not to limit themselves to the park alone and this one demonstration and have the mural be able to move around and so they decided to show the devastation of forest areas.
Manuelpillai shared the beat by beat takedown of the mural stating that after they completed the scaffolding work in thunder and lightning and hung up the mural at 1 a.m. on 19 March, she received a phone call saying that police has been asking for the mural to be taken down: “At around 8.30 a.m. I was told that there were several attempts to take down the mural by the authorities. They tried to take it down a few times, and put it back again saying it was blown away by the wind and finally around their fourth or fifth attempt, it was finally removed.”
She said that they actually paid a visit to Town Hall to clear up why they’re not allowed to keep the mural up, considering that their legal consultation had confirmed that they had adequate permission. She said the staff at Town Hall were of no help: “They were just passing the ball from one desk to the other and we were told that the mural was ruining the beautiful picture of the park”.
It would seem that there was a decision made which moved down the chain of command where a non-answer was given to the organisers to simply silence them.
We also spoke with the Wildlife and Nature Protection Society (WNPS) Youth Wing Co-ordinator Pavithra Aththanayake, who shared that it was confirmed to them that the permission which they acquired from the Colombo Municipal Council was adequate to put up the mural. However, as their initial goal was to get their word of #StopEcocide out to society they did not chase this alleged misuse of power from the side of the local authorities at Viharamahadevi Park.
She shared that due to this incident they were able to garner a lot of coverage to their core message and they are happy to have been able to create awareness around their cause.
Fundamental Rights
We also reached out to Attorney-at-law Harshana Nanayakkara who commented on the legality of the matter pointing out that it is indeed a stifling of expression. More specifically, it is a limitation of a fundamental right afforded by the Constitution of Sri Lanka – he said that in the Constitution, under the Fundamental Rights, Chapter III, Article 14 provides for the Freedom of speech, assembly, association, occupation, and movement.
Article 14. (1) Every citizen is entitled to – (a) the freedom of speech and expression including publication and (b) the freedom of peaceful assembly.
The only restrictions for the enjoyment of this particular right are laid out in Article 15 of the constitution as follows:
“The exercise and operation of the fundamental right declared and recognised by Article 14(1) (a) shall be subject to such restrictions as may be prescribed by law in the interests of racial and religious harmony or in relation to parliamentary privilege, contempt of court, defamation or incitement to an offence.”
“The exercise and operation of the fundamental right declared and recognised by Article 14(1) (b) shall be subject to such restrictions as may be prescribed by law in the interests of racial and religious harmony.”
Nanayakkara commented that we as citizens are allowed, by law, to freely express our opinion and unless it is in violation of a law, so long as it is not illegal, and in cases where there is no element of illegality if your expression is stifled then our rights have been unlawfully restricted.
“The banner was their way of expressing their opinion, to have it taken down, what law did it violate?” he asked, adding also that the mural was not causing any destruction to public property, and it was not even a permanent fixture. He stated: “It is unfortunate that the government got scared of little children expressing their thoughts.”
The morning of the demonstration, the matter of the mural getting taken down spread like wildfire, and the peaceful collaborators of the movement - Wildlife and Nature Protection Society – Youth Wing, Wildlife and Nature Protection Society of Sri Lanka, Extinction Rebellion Sri Lanka, The Pearl Protectors, Earth Guardians Sri Lanka, Climate Action Now Sri Lanka, and Rally For Animal Rights & Environment (RARE), all shared that while the intervention of the authorities and the obstruction of their art piece has at the very least allowed them to reach a wider audience due to the outrage media that followed the incident, they all collectively condemned the political narrative that has been rearing its head amidst the conversation, stating that they do not endorse any individuals or parties who are involved with political parties and that the movement is strictly apolitical.
Otara Gunewardene, who attended the demonstration on 19 March, also shared her thoughts on the matter: “I am here to support the youth groups who have gathered here today and of course I support what they do and I’m also like them - very caring and conscious about what happening with our environment and the fact that we all have to unite to achieve the change we all want in Sri Lanka. Because we are all one, we are all connected, one affects the other and we have to look at everything as a whole to make a positive difference.”
Addressing the taking down of the mural by the authorities without providing any reasoning behind their intervention, she said: “It is unfortunate because it was done by the youth, some were very young as well, and they spent a lot of effort and it was really just to show that they care for the environment. That they care that there is deforestation happening now and it has been happening for a while now and they just wanted to have their voice heard and see a difference happening in the future for Sri Lanka and instead of supporting them, the authorities actually went against them which is very surprising and it is unfortunate. It would have been better if they supported them and helped them, to convince them that they can make a change together. It is not against anybody, they did it to communicate that they want a change for Sri Lanka and for the future, you have to listen to what the youth are saying and the citizens and work together to make a change.”
The other side
While there is overwhelming support toward the young environmentalists, there is always another side to the story, and we reached out to media analyst Nalaka Gunawardene, who shared his thoughts on the matter, drawing some attention to the fact that one must make note of all the facts before jumping on the bandwagon - whichever a view is more popular and sensational.
He said: “In recent days there were conflicting media reports on the ‘Ecocide’ mural at the Viharamahadevi Park being taken down by police. The organisers (WNPS Youth Group) claimed they had obtained permission from the Colombo Municipal Council (CMC) that manages the Park, but CMC’s Commissioner was quoted in the media as saying that ‘safety measures had not been taken when erecting the banner’.
“If the activists indeed had all permissions, and if they had also followed all safety precautions, the mural’s abrupt removal can be called an unfair restriction on the freedom of expression. But in a disputed case like this, not having been there, I can’t be sure who was right or wrong. However, I have seen from time to time some activists behaving as if their noble end justifies their questionable means,” he said, adding: “My particular concern is with some environmental activists making various claims of massive environmental damage that are not backed by adequately rigorous evidence or analysis. Some get irritated or turn abusive when scientific evidence is demanded -- do they expect everyone to believe in their doom-mongering as an act of faith?”
In closing, Gunawardene stated that Sri Lanka faces formidable challenges in managing its environment and natural resources. It is heartening to see young citizens becoming more concerned, but passion alone cannot solve problems. Passion should be the “launching pad” to knowledge-based activism where complex issues are studied and understood and realistic solutions are discussed and pursued.