3 muslims killed in buddhist mob attacks in sri lanka

8/12/2019 3 Muslims Killed in Buddhist Mob Attacks in Sri Lanka

1/3

3 Muslims killed in Buddhist

mob attacks in Sri Lanka

ByTim Hume, CNN andIqbal Athas, for CNN-Tue June17, 2014A Sri Lankan Muslim woman carries her daughter outside her burnt house after at least three

Muslims were killed and 80 injured in clashes with Buddhists on Sunday night. The sectarian

riots in and around the town of Aluthgama in southern Sri Lanka followed demonstrations by

the hardline Buddhist grou! Bodu Bala Sena !olice said. "omes and sho!s were looted and

burned and a curfew remains in !lace.

#olombo $#%%& ' At least three !eo!le ha(e been killed and )* injured after Buddhist mobs

ram!aged through Muslim areas in southwest Sri Lanka !olice say.The outbreak of religious (iolence followed a large rally Sunday by the Bodu Bala Sena a

hardline Buddhist nationalist grou! led by monks in the town of Aluthgama about +0

kilometers south of #olombo.

The rally was !rom!ted by the alleged assault of a monk by Muslim youths days earlier.

After the rally (iolence eru!ted on both sides as the demonstrators marched through Muslim
http://www.cnn.com/2014/06/17/world/asia/sri-lanka-aluthgama-violence/http://www.cnn.com/2014/06/17/world/asia/sri-lanka-aluthgama-violence/https://twitter.com/tim_humehttp://i2.cdn.turner.com/cnn/dam/assets/140616225803-sri-lanka-aluthgama-9-horizontal-gallery.jpghttp://i.cdn.turner.com/cnn/.element/img/3.0/global/header/us/hdr-world.gifhttps://twitter.com/tim_humehttp://www.cnn.com/2014/06/17/world/asia/sri-lanka-aluthgama-violence/http://www.cnn.com/2014/06/17/world/asia/sri-lanka-aluthgama-violence/


2/3

neighborhoods allegedly chanting anti,Muslim slogans according to a statementby the -nited%ations "igh #ommissioner for "uman ights %a(i /illay.

Muslim homes and sho!s were gutted in the (iolence which has !rom!ted Muslims in the

region to gather in mosues for safety.

Sri Lankan !olice s!okesman Ajith ohana told #%% that 1* !eo!le from Sri Lanka2sSinhalese majority had been arrested o(er the (iolence some of them members of Bodu Bala

Sena.

3They ha(e been remanded at the moment and we2re framing charges in due course3 he said.

Soldiers had been brought in to enforce a curfew banning !eo!le from the roads or from

gathering in !ublic !laces in the ho!e of !re(enting further clashes in Aluthgama and the

nearby town of Beruwala coastal destinations !o!ular with foreign tourists.

The curfew was rela4ed from 8 a.m. to noon Tuesday to allow !eo!le to lea(e their homes togather su!!lies. ohana said that 5s!oradic incidents6 had been re!orted Monday night but

that authorities had the situation under control.

The (iolence has alarmed international obser(ers with the -.%.2s /illay urging Sri Lanka2s

go(ernment to 5urgently do e(erything it can to arrest this (iolence curb the incitement and

hate s!eech which is dri(ing it and !rotect all religious minorities.6

37 am (ery concerned this (iolence could s!read to Muslim communities in other !arts of the

country3 she said.

Sri Lanka2s ustice Minister auff "akeem a Muslim said his !arty would weigh its future in

the go(ernment de!ending on the official res!onse to the attacks. 57 am ashamed 7 could not

hel! my !eo!le6 he said.

Sri Lankan /resident Mahinda aja!aksa who is in Boli(ia for the 9:: summit commented

on the clashes on Twitter.

3The 9o(ernment will not allow anyone to take the law into their own hands. 7 urge all !arties

concerned to act in restraint3 he wrote.

3An in(estigation will be held for law to take its course of action to bring to book those

res!onsible for incidents in Aluthgama.3

;A< M=;> Are Sri Lanka2s ?anti,terror2 arrests an attem!t to intimidate acti(ists@

About three,uarters of Sri Lanka2s !o!ulation are Sinhalese most of them Thera(ada

Buddhists. According to the country2s *011 census :0.* of the !o!ulation is Buddhist 1*.+

"indu .: Muslim and :.C #hristian.
http://www.ohchr.org/EN/NewsEvents/Pages/DisplayNews.aspx?NewsID=14715&LangID=Ehttp://www.cnn.com/2014/03/19/world/asia/sri-lanka-ruki-fernando-arrest/index.htmlhttp://www.ohchr.org/EN/NewsEvents/Pages/DisplayNews.aspx?NewsID=14715&LangID=Ehttp://www.cnn.com/2014/03/19/world/asia/sri-lanka-ruki-fernando-arrest/index.html


3/3

7n recent years the country has witnessed a surge of Buddhist nationalism led by the Bodu

Bala Sena the country2s most !owerful Buddhist organiDation which has !ledged to defend the

religion.

7ts rally on Sunday was held in res!onse to an earlier incident on Thursday which is a !ublic

holiday in Sri Lanka commemorating the day Buddhism reached the island nation.

ohana said a Buddhist monk and his dri(er had been assaulted by a grou! of four Muslim

youths s!arking anger among the Buddhist community. The four alleged assailants were

subseuently arrested.

"e said the mob (iolence did not begin until the rally on Sunday.

Ered #ar(er of the -F,based Sri Lanka #am!aign for /eace and ustice urged Sri Lanka2s

authorities to ra!idly take charge of the situation.

3Ge know from !ast e4!erience that ethnic (iolence in Sri Lanka ra!idly s!irals and leads to!henomenal loss of life unless there is swift and effecti(e inter(ention by the !olice3 he told

#%%.

37n the longer term 7 ho!e the Sri Lankan 9o(ernment reflects on the conseuences of

!atroniDing and endorsing e4tremist nationalists while at the same time engendering a culture

of im!unity for those in(ol(ed in ethnic (iolence.3

The -.S. ;mbassy in Sri Lanka condemned the (iolence and called on all sides to show

restraint.

9rou!s warn of backlash as -.%. calls for !robe into Sri Lanka ci(il war
http://www.cnn.com/2014/04/02/world/asia/sri-lanka-united-nations-probe/index.htmlhttp://www.cnn.com/2014/04/02/world/asia/sri-lanka-united-nations-probe/index.html

3 muslims killed in buddhist mob attacks in sri lanka

Documents