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Buddhist-Christian unity against social evils
Friday, 6 January 2006 - 2:39 AM SL Time
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Christian churches have come out to join the Buddhist clergy in supporting the Bill against Alcohol and Tobacco abuse in the face of joint action against the Bill by alcohol and tobacco dealers.
Heads of five Christian denominations have jointly filed a petition to intervene and be heard in support of the Bill titled 'National Authority on Tobacco and Alcohol' placed on the Order Paper of Parliament by Ven. Omalpe Sobitha Thera of the Jathika Hela Urumaya.
The Bill has been challenged by Lion Brewery Ltd and several other liquor and tobacco product manufacturers, distributors and sellers.
Anglican Bishops the Rt. Rev. Duleep de Chickera and the Rt. Rev. Kumara Illangasinghe with Sri Lanka Baptist Sangamaya Head and National Christian Council Chairman Rev. Kinsley Perera, the Methodist Church President Rev. W.P. Ebernezer and Dutch Reformed Church President Rev. Charles N. Jansz, in their petition have welcomed, commended and expressed support for the Bill.
They say they see the Bill as a means of promoting social and national welfare and arresting social and cultural decline due to alcohol and tobacco abuse which they describe as two of the biggest social evils afflicting the nation.
They point out that Sri Lanka is a signatory and a party to the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control which was unanimously adopted on May 21, 2003 and came into force on February 27, 2005.
The petitioners emphasize that the preamble to the said Treaty itself refers to the 'devastating worldwide health, social, economic and environmental consequences of tobacco consumption and exposure to tobacco smoke' and it identifies the deep concern by member States of 'the escalation in smoking and other forms of tobacco consumption by children and adolescents worldwide, particularly smoking at increasingly early ages'. They cite the WHO Declaration on Young People and Alcohol, 2001 and WHO Global Status Report on Alcohol, 2004. This declaration identifies young people as a vulnerable sector in relation to alcohol consumption and the risks associated with youth drinking and set targets to be achieved by year 2006, which include minimizing pressures through advertising, sponsorship and availability of alcohol to the youth.
The petitioners urge that it is internationally accepted that advertising and availability of these substances to children and young persons ought to be controlled, through legislation and other means and that therefore the proposed legislation falls well within the limits that can be prescribed by law as provided by the Constitution.
They urge the Supreme Court to hold that the provisions of the Bill are consistent with the international trend and protective measures obligated to be taken by Governments of all civilized jurisdictions and that none of its provisions are inconsistent with the Constitution.
The intervention petition settled by M.A. Sumanthiran, Vijula Arulanantham and Viran Corea was filed by Mohan Balendra on behalf of the petitioners.
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