The Attorney General informed the Court of Appeal today (10) that he would withdraw the letter issued by the Chairman of the Sri Lanka Tourism Development Board approving the implementation of a tourism promotion project targeting the homosexual community in Sri Lanka.
This submission was made when a petition related to the matter was taken up before the court today.
The petition was filed by Dr. Gunadasa Amarasekara, Convener of the Patriotic National Movement, and Dr. Wasantha Bandara, its Secretary, seeking to invalidate the letter issued by the Chairman of the Sri Lanka Tourism Development Board that approved the implementation of a tourism promotion project aimed at the homosexual community in Sri Lanka.
The respondents named in the petition are the Attorney General, Foreign Minister Vijitha Herath, Chairman of the Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority Buddhika Hewawasam, and the Executive Director of the non-governmental organization Equal Ground.
The petition was taken up before a bench of the Court of Appeal comprising the President of the Court of Appeal, Justice Rohantha Abeysuriya, and Justice Priyantha Fernando.
During the proceedings, the Attorney General reiterated to the court that he would withdraw the letter issued by the Chairman of the Sri Lanka Tourism Development Board approving the implementation of the said tourism promotion project.
State Counsel appearing for the respondents informed the court that the Chairman of the Sri Lanka Tourism Board, through a letter dated February 2, had notified that he would withdraw the relevant letter, which forms the basis of the case. Accordingly, the State Counsel pointed out that the relief sought by the petitioners had already been granted.
However, Counsel Kanishka Vitarana, appearing on behalf of the petitioners, disagreed with this position. He submitted that although the respondent had stated that the letter would be withdrawn, there was no indication that the “decision” taken to implement the tourism promotion project itself had been withdrawn.
Counsel argued that the decision remains in force and that withdrawing the letter alone is insufficient. He further stated that the petitioners had filed the case with the objective of invalidating the decision taken by the Chairman of the Sri Lanka Tourism Development Board to promote the gay tourism industry.
In response, the Presiding Judge of the Court of Appeal instructed the State Counsel to inquire into the respondent’s position regarding the decision and to inform the court on the following day.
Accordingly, the Court of Appeal bench ordered that the petition be taken up again on March 4.
