A panel of Buddhists, Christians and other religious leaders convened this week to seek the liberation of society through justice and equality.

“Religious leaders should unite to promote justice and equality wherever possible,” said Buddhist monk Buddhiyagama Chandarathana Thero at the panel discussion, which met yesterday at the Oblate priest-run Center for Society and Religion (CSR).

“We have divided into religions and ethnic groups; there is no unity among ourselves,” said Thero, a rights activist who has worked with CSR for 40 years.

Nalin Fernando, an attendee of the discussion, said more needed to be done for ethnic Tamils, whose grievances have not properly been addressed in the two years following the end of civil war.

“Still as Sinhalese, we have failed to respect the dignity of Tamil people who endured untold hardships during the war,” he said.