Identity cards to Hindu priests

[TamilNet, Friday, 10 April 1998, 23:59 GMT]
In view of Hindu priests being arrested or subjected to harassment by the Sri Lankan Security Forces, the All Ceylon Hindu Congress (ACHC) has requested trustees of the temples at which the priests serve, to issue a certificate which establishes the priests' identities, said the ACHC in a statement.

This will enable the security forces who stop priests to contact the trustees and establish the priest's identity and prevent needless detention and investigation, it said.

According to the ACHC statement, following the ACHC's appeals the Attorney General (AG) has requested temple trustees to issue these certificates.

He has also informed all police stations to be appraised of these procedures.

Tamil and Hindu civic organisations have repeatedly raised the question of the detention and harassment of Hindu priests by the Sri Lankan security forces.

They state that the reverence that should be accorded to someone in holy orders and which is customarily extended to other religions, is not given to Hindu priests.