The Tourist Police with the assistance of the Local Government bodies, the Tourism Development Authority and the Tourist Board are to conduct raids on restaurants, villas and tourist lodges in the southern tourist belt that cater only to foreigners and discriminate against Sri Lankans under the directive of the Local Government and Provincial Councils Minister Faizer Mustapha.
The Management of tourist facilities who were found discriminative on Sri Lankans during the raids will be prosecuted under the common law and Tourist Promotion law and their trade permits will be withdrawn.
A crucial discussion was held at the Local Government and Provincial Councils Ministry chaired by Minister Musthapha, took this decision to prevent what he described as the outcome of a ‘slavish or colonial mentality’.
Minister Musthapha pointed out that a large number of villas, restaurants and tourist lodges from Wadduwa to Tangalle have put up boards ‘Tourist Only’ in front of their facilities on the Southern Coast and restricted access to Sri Lankans which is a violation of the Constitution, human rights and confronts the dignity and self respect of Sri Lankans.
Officials of the Tourist Board and Tourism Development Authority pointed out that many of these establishments had not been duly registered with the Tourist Board and run on a ‘Trade License’ obtained from the local government authority which is also illegal.
The villas, lodges and restaurants discriminative on Sri Lankans were run mainly in Wadduwa, Hikkaduwa, Galle, Mirissa, Weligama, Habaraduwa and Unawatuna, it was revealed. Raids will be started from tomorrow (4) and continue until all those tourist facilities discriminative against Sri Lanka tourists are apprehended and prosecuted. Officials of the Tourist Police will carry out raids with the help of officials of the respective local government body, Tourism Promotion Authority and Sri Lanka Tourist Board.
The programme to eliminate this discrimination against Sri Lankans will be expanded to tourist areas in other parts of the country with the experience gained from these raids, Minister Musthapha added.
It was also revealed at the discussion that some tourist facilities with ‘Foreigners Only’ tag are owned by foreigners and they do not pay taxes and income is taken out of the country without any contribution to the tourist industry or to the economy.
It was also revealed that there are 14 tourist villas and restaurants at Weligama alone that cater only to foreigners.
A senior police officer pointed out that a person or establishment that discriminates against a Sri Lankan can be prosecuted under the provisions of the Constitution and Criminal Code.
Source : Daily News
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