14th May, 2019
The Sri Lankan Police has vowed to use maximum force against violent protesters who have continued to attack mosques and the Muslims in the country.
Mosques and Muslim-owned shops have been vandalised or set on fire, and one Muslim man has been slashed to death.
Though, the government has partially lifted an overnight curfew imposed nationwide after the worst bout of anti-Muslim violence since the deadly Easter Sunday bombings, curfew will remain in the North-Western province until further notice, police said.
BBC reports that in several towns, police fired into the air and used tear gas to disperse mobs.
Tensions have been high since Islamist militants attacked churches and hotels three weeks ago on Easter Sunday, killing more than 250 people.
In a televised address, Police Chief Chandana Wickramaratne warned that officers would respond to rioters with maximum force, while Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe appealed for calm in the early hours of Monday, saying the current unrest was hampering investigation into last month’s attacks.
According to the medium, Muslims make up nearly 10% of Sri Lanka’s 22 million people, who are predominantly Sinhalese Buddhists.