Colombo: Fresh violence erupted in Sri Lanka after a Muslim-owned restaurant was attacked in an alleged hate crime incident in the north western province on Sunday, a day after President Sirisena appointed a commission to probe a spate of anti-Muslim riots in the violence-hit Kandy that prompted him to impose a nationwide state of emergency.
The restaurant located 130km from Colombo, was targeted in the morning even as police are keeping a tight vigil following eruption of communal clashes that left at least two people dead and damaged several homes, businesses and mosques in Kandy.
Tensions remain high across the country after the violence broke out following the death of a man from the mainly Buddhist Sinhalese majority last week. President Sirisena appointed a three-member commission to probe the communal clashes in the Kandy district. Meanwhile, Kandy’s central province CM Sarath Ekanayake said that all government schools which were closed on March 7 due to the unrest will reopen.
Ranjith Madduma Bandara is new Law & Order Minister
A worried President Sirisena divested the law and order portfolio from Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe and appointed Ranjith Madduma Bandara, a senior politician from Wickremesinghe’s United National Party, in his place. A total of 81people, including the main suspect, who had led anti-Muslim violence have been arrested so far. “A man, named Vidanapathiranage Amith Jeewan Weerasinghe, who is believed to be the main suspect and nine others were arrested on Thursday,” a police spokesman said. “They were arrested for inciting communal violence and hate speech,” the spokesperson said. He said since March 4, there have been two deaths due to clashes. “One of them died of suffocation due to an arson attack while the other had died due to a grenade explosion,” he added.
On Tuesday last, President Sirisena declared a 10-day, nationwide state of emergency, the first since the country ended a civil war in 2009. In a national address, the president appealed for calm and peace and warned of "stern action" against anyone spreading violence and rumours with the intention of provoking communal tension. Social messaging networks, including Facebook was barred to stem violence against minority Muslims after mob attacks continued despite the imposition of emergency on the Buddhist-majority island.
Tension has been growing between the two communities in Sri Lanka over the past year, with some hardline Buddhist groups accusing Muslims of forcing people to convert to Islam and vandalising Buddhist archaeological sites. Muslims deny this.
