Buddhist mobs continued to target Muslim localities and destroy stores and restaurants in the Sri Lankan city of Kandy and its suburbs on Wednesday night, local residents told AP. The military, however, claimed that the city – the worst hit in communal clashes in recent days – was quiet on Wednesday night and early Thursday, Reuters reported.
Authorities lifted the curfew in Kandy for the daytime on Thursday. The government had imposed the curfew after a young Buddhist man died during clashes with a group of Muslims. Despite the restrictions, Buddhist protestors had attacked mosques and Muslim-owned businesses in Kandy on Wednesday, prompting police to use teargas shells.
On Tuesday, the Sri Lankan government had declared a 10-day state of emergency in the country after days of clashes between Buddhist and Muslim groups in Kandy district. Incidents of violence were reported despite the restrictions and the heavy deployment of security forces.
In Pallekele, mobs burned down four houses with petrol bombs on Wednesday night.
Meanwhile, senior politician Ranjith Madduma Bandara took charge as the law and order minister – in charge of the police – on Thursday, PTI reported. Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe had taken up the position temporarily on February 25.
The government had also blocked social media networks such as Facebook and messaging apps such as WhatsApp and Viber across the country to prevent communal violence from spreading.
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