The police in Sri Lanka on Wednesday resorted to lobbing teargas shells at Buddhist protestors in Kandy, who have been defying a curfew and attacking mosques and Muslim-owned businesses. Authorities imposed a curfew after a young Buddhist man died during clashes with a group of Muslims, the BBC reported.
Three police officers were also injured in clashes in suburban Kandy in Central Sri Lanka, where the government on Tuesday declared a state of emergency for 10 days. The administration made the decision after days of clashes between Buddhist and Muslim groups in Kandy district.
Earlier on Wednesday, the Sri Lankan government said it would block social media networks such as Facebook and messaging apps such as WhatsApp and Viber across the country to prevent communal violence from spreading, Reuters reported. Cabinet Spokesperson Rajitha Senaratne said the government had asked service providers to block social messaging networks after Facebook posts threatening attacks against Muslims.
Sri Lanka’s Telecommunications, Digital Infrastructure and Foreign Employment Minister Harin Fernando said the country’s Telecommunications Regulatory Commission imposed the temporary order to limit the spread of hate speech and violence, the Daily Mirror reported.
“Social media websites such as Facebook, WhatsApp and Viber have been used to destroy families, lives and private property,” Fernando said. “Put down your smart phones, let go of your hate and help make a new Sri Lanka that is good for everyone.”
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