Sri Lanka declares a 10-day State Emergency to curb spread of communal tension
Colombo, Mar 6 (IBNS): Faced with clashes between two hostile religious groups, the Sri Lanka government, on Tuesday, announced State Emergency emergency to curb the violence from spreading, media reports said.
The Sri Lankan cabinet held a special meeting and declared a 10-day emergency, reports said.
The island nation's President's Media Division tweeted on Tuesday, "President promulgated a State Emergency a short while ago to redress the unsatisfactory security situation prevailing in certain parts of the country. The Police & Armed Forces have been suitably empowered to deal with criminal elements in the society & urgently restore normalcy."
According to media reports, the unrest between the majority Buddhists and the minority Muslims have been festering over the past year and flared up on Sunday, after the funeral of a Buddhist truck driver in Kandy district.
Allegedly, the truck driver was involved in an altercation with four Muslims prior to his death, according to government reports.
On Monday, curfew was declared in Kandy. It was withdrawn but again imposed in certain areas, media reports said on Tuesday.
Local media quoted the police on Tuesday and said the body of a Muslim youth was found in a burnt-out house early during the day.
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