BY W.K. Prasad Manju Joint Opposition Ratnapura District Parliamentarian Vasudeva Nanayakkara claimed that he has come to know, via intelligence sources, that a powerful Government Minister from the Colombo District had given his blessings to an extremist group known as the Mahason Balakaya to instigate the recent communal clash in the hill capital.

By Leon Berenger in Digana, Kandy The silent tears fall on smouldering embers but it cannot douse the flames of hatred which engulfed the hill station town of Digana that witnessed a bloody cycle of ethnic violence where the minority Muslims was targeted at the beginning of this week. It all began with hate speech …

Continue reading ‘“Devils Force”(Mahasohon Balakaya) Presided Over By Amith Weerasinghe Operating From a Plush Office in Kengalle Was Allegedly responsible for Violence in Kandy’ »

BY Kavindya Chris Thomas, reporting from Digana Two men, separated by several kilometres, two villages and distinguished by their respective religions and ethnicities, faced unnatural similar circumstances during this week of bedlam in the Central Province. Historians may observe and record the contemporary occurrences that led to the week-long racial tension and violence in the …

Continue reading ‘“No Violence in the Names Of Our Children” Say the Families of Victims of M.G. Kumarasinghe and Samsudeen Abdul Basith’ »

by Maneshka Borham The recent unrest in Kandy was not only sudden and unexpected but it also brought the whole district to a standstill for over a week as violence ensued in various areas. The unrest which eventually took a communal turn however all began with a mere personal dispute between a lorry driver and …

Continue reading ‘When Hate and Violence Invaded the Central Highlands’ »

By Jayadeva Uyangoda Another week of political chaos and uncertainty has just passed. There was something new in it – Government paralysis for a few days. When two Ministers publicly admitted that the police had been inactive in controlling rioters in the Kandy District that was no ordinary news. There were also media reports, not …

Continue reading ‘Country Bereft of Leadership With President Sirisena and Prime Minister Wickremesinghe Being Locked Up in a Power Struggle Having Political and Personal Roots’ »

By Kishali Pinto Jayawardene Some months ago, I happened to have a chance conversation with a fellow traveller en route when returning to Sri Lanka. Highly educated in the engineering sciences, he hailed from Mawanella (a town close to Kandy) and after a while, the exchange turned to a discussion on how his village had …

Continue reading ‘Communal Violenc Demonstrates That Country Is Heading For an Uncertain Future’ »

Hundreds of Buddhist monks and activists staged a demonstration in the Sri Lankan capital Friday to condemn anti-Muslim riots that have killed three people and forced the government to declare a nationwide state of emergency. The National Bhikku Front said they organised the silent protest against what they called “communal clashes destroying national unity”., Moderate …

Continue reading ‘Hundreds of Buddhist Monks and Activists Condemn Anti-Muslim Violence in Colombo at Protest Demonstration Organized by National Bhikku Front Against “Communal Clashes Destroying National Unity”.’ »

An upsurge of attacks against Muslims by Sinhala Buddhist militants in Sri Lanka has raised fears of a new round of communal violence. In this Q&A, Crisis Group’s Sri Lanka Senior Analyst Alan Keenan says the Government needs to act urgently to prevent the violence from spinning out of control, by enforcing laws against hate …

Continue reading ‘Violence in Sri Lanka Not Local “clashes” between Buddhists and Muslims, but organised and targeted Attacks by Well-known National-level Groups who made their Intentions Clear Through Media -Alan Keenan of “Crisis” group.’ »

Soldiers and police guarded mosques across Sri Lanka during Friday prayers amid fears of new anti-Muslim attacks after four days of riots that have left at least three dead. Most Muslim-owned businesses in the island nation remained shut in protest at attacks by mainly Buddhist Sinhalese groups concentrated around the central city of Kandy. Armed …

Continue reading ‘Muslims Engage in “Jumma”Prayers on Friday While Police and Army Provide Protection To Mosques Throughout Sri Lanka.’ »

By Kelum Bandara Sri Lanka Muslim Congress (SLMC) leader Minister Rauff Hakeem yesterday asked the government to issue ‘shoot at sight’ orders to enforce the police curfew in the affected areas. Mr. Hakeem told the Daily Mirror there were lapses initially in dealing with the situation, but the incidents could not be solely blamed on …

Continue reading ‘SLMCLeader/Cabinet Minister Rauff Hakeem asks Govt to Issue “Shoot at Sight”Orders to Enforce Curfew in Violence Affected Areas’ »

Police, giving the first comprehensive update after communal violence erupted earlier this week, said 85 people had been arrested for rioting in Kandy, including the head of a radical group and 10 others accused of spreading extremist views via social media. Speaking at a media conference, police said petrol bombs were hurled at a mosque …

Continue reading ‘85 Persons Including 10 Key Suspects Arrested Over Anti-Muslim Violence in Kandy District Where More Than 200 Houses, Businesses and Vehicles Were Torched in Three Days.’ »

Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe yesterday issued a special statement giving an update on the violence in Kandy, assuring that law enforcement authorities stand ready to quell any unrest and soothing fears of violence spreading countrywide. Speaking in his capacity as Law and Order Minister, Wickremesinghe recapped the incidents that sparked violent clashes in Digana and …

Continue reading ‘Additional Army Deployed in Kandy District Under the Command of Major-General Rukman Dias Who will Coordinate with Police and STF in Efforts to Quell Violence Says Premier Wickremesinghe in Special Statement Made to Parliament.’ »

By Indika Ramanayake and Tharindu Jayawardena The particles that were found in food at an eatery in Ampara, which was earlier rumoured to be sterilizing chemicals, were clumps of flour, the Government Analyst reported to Police. “They were contents of carbohydrates,” Government Analyst A. Weliangage said.

By the “Daily FT” Special Correspondent in Kandy A fresh wave of violence erupted in different parts of the Kandy District yesterday, a full 24 hours after the Government declared a state of emergency to control escalating ethnic tensions and attacks on homes and businesses targeting the Muslim community in Digana and surrounding villages. Fires …

Continue reading ‘Fresh Wave of Anti-Muslim Violence in Different Areas of Kandy District Even After Emergency Declared By Govt Being In Force for 24 Hours.’ »

Regional Development Minister Field Marshal Sarath Fonseka today said he was against the appointment of Minister Ranjith Madduma Bandara as the new Law and Order Minister by President Maithripala Sirisena this morning. Minister Fonseka told the media in Colombo following an event, that this appointment was made without prior information to Minister Bandara. “Minister Bandara …

Continue reading ‘Field Marshall Sarath Fonseksa Denounces Appointment of Ranjith Madduma Bandara as Law and Order Minister by President Maithripala Sirisena.’ »

Public Administration and Management Minister Ranjith Maddumabandara received his appointment letter as the new Law and Order Minister from President Maithripala Sirisena yesterday morning at the President’s official residence. Two weeks after assuming duties as the Minister of Law and Order, Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe relinquished the post and vested it in Public Administration and …

Continue reading ‘Newly Appointed Law and Order Minister Ranjith Madduma Bandara Directed By Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe to Submit Report on Workings of the National Police Commission as his First Order of Duty.’ »

Senior United National Party (UNP) MP, Ranjith Madduma Bandara, has been sworn-in as Sri Lanka’s Minister of Law and Order in the context of the need to have a full time Law and Order Minister given the anti-Muslim riots sweeping Kandy district in Central Sri Lanka.

By Dr.Dayan Jayatilleka The recent spate of attacks on Muslims is the latest manifestation of Islamophobia in Sri Lanka. Such violence cannot but have the effect of radicalizing Muslim youth and marginalizing Muslim moderates. We have come one step closer to the emergence of Islamist terrorism in Sri Lanka. So far we have experienced a …

Continue reading ‘Jathika Hela Urumaya’s Champika Ranawaka’s Role in Promoting Sinhala Buddhist Fundamentalism andthe Launching of ‘Islamophobia’ as an Ideological and Political Weapon.’ »

By Chathuri Dissanayake As flames engulfed more homes and shops in different parts of Kandy, President Maithripala Sirisena rushed to the hill capital yesterday to meet with religious leaders and Government officials, in a bid to quell the situation. President Maithripala Sirisena, who was due to hold a meeting in Anuradhapura, rushed to Kandy when …

Continue reading ‘“An Opposition MP and His Secretary, Two Recently Elected Local Body Members, A District Organizer and Buddhist Monk From same Political Party Behind Anti-Muslim Violence in Digana and Teldeniya will be Arrested Soon reveals Cabinet spokesman Rajitha Senaratne’ »

By Meera Srinivasan A fresh round of violence gripped parts of Sri Lanka’s Kandy district on March 7, a day after authorities declared emergency to quell heightening anti-Muslim attacks in the Central Province. Scattered and sporadic, a series of attacks targeting Muslim-owned shops and other buildings in the suburbs of Akurana and Katugastota near Kandy …

Continue reading ‘Anti- Muslim Violence Erupt Again During Curfew In Akurana and Katugastota in Kandy; Soldiers Deployed To Maintain Peace Watched With “Folded Arms” Sinhala Mobs Attacking Muslim Establishments.’ »

Mobs torched Muslim-owned businesses in a central Sri Lanka district on Wednesday as hundreds of police and troops struggled to restore order after days of rioting. The soldiers poured into Kandy to reinforce police but arson attacks persisted even though the government has imposed a nationwide state of emergency and suspended the internet locally to …

Continue reading ‘Fresh Anti- Muslim Arson Incidents In Kandy Despite Island-wide Emergency and Blocking of Social Media : Grenade Exploded By Attacking Mob Kills one and Injures 11 in Ambatenna .Police Fire on Mob in Menikhinna.’ »

(Text of Statement Issued by the National Christian Evangelical Alliance of Sri Lanka Condemning the Communal Tensions in Digana, Kandy) The National Christian Evangelical Alliance of Sri Lanka (NCEASL) is deeply concerned and condemns the circumstances surrounding the prevailing tensions in Digana, Kandy. In light of the unrest, the NCEASL underscores the importance of upholding …

Continue reading ‘National Christian Evangelical Alliance Urges Govt to Uphold the Rule of Law in the Country and Stem the Violence Currently Prevailing in the Kandy Region’ »

By Dr.Lionel Bopage Inciting violence, hatred and threats against other citizens because of their diverse backgrounds is harmful for sustained peace and reconciliation in Sri Lanka. Ridiculing their religious beliefs and destroying their properties is terrifying for the targeted groups and distressing for the law abiding community members. A free nation shows its maturity byallowing …

Continue reading ‘Anti-Muslim violence rears its ugly head again in Sri Lanka’ »

By Mujib Mashal and Dharisha Bastians Sri Lanka’s government imposed a nationwide state of emergency on Tuesday after mob attacks against the minority Muslim population in a central district, violence that has highlighted the country’s fragility as it tries to recover from decades of civil war. The unrest in the district of Kandy began on …

Continue reading ‘Four Mosques, 37 Houses, 46 Shops and 35 Vehicles Damaged in the Anti-Muslim Attacks Up To March 5th in Kandy District according to Central Province Councillor Hidayath Saththar.’ »

By Dr. Vickramabahu Karunaratne Some analysts say the power struggle between President Maithripala Sirisena and Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe ended with both being badly bruised, but the conflict also exposed the limitations of their long-term political strategies. It gave in to the hands of Sinhala Buddhist racism a bogus victory to arouse Sinhala plebeians and …

Continue reading ‘Maithripala’s Open Admission That He Had Saved Gotabhaya Rajapaksa From Arrest and Legal Action Failed To Win Votes for SLFP From Mahinda Supporters at Local Polls.’ »

By Meera Srinivasan Sri Lanka on Tuesday declared an island-wide state of emergency to curb heightening anti-Muslim violence in the country’s Central Province. The decision, taken at the weekly Cabinet meeting on Tuesday, came in response to a series of arson attacks targeting dozens of mosques and Muslim-owned shops and homes in Kandy. On Tuesday …

Continue reading ‘“Anti-Muslim Sentiment Among Sinhalese Subsided After Tamil Militancy Emerged But Seems to Have Re-surfaced After the War Ended” – Senior Academic MA Nuhman’ »

By Latheef Farook What had happened in Digana on Sunday 4 March 2018 was a crime committed on an innocent Sinhalese lorry driver by three drunken Muslim three wheeler thugs. It is a matter for law enforcement authority to deal with culprits in keeping with the law of the land. Instead, Muslim owned businesses in …

Continue reading ‘“First STF Takes Away From Muslims Whatever They Have To Defend Themselves Including Knives and Then Muslims Come Under Attack From Mobs” – Statement From Affected Muslim Person.’ »

​By Charumini de Silva State Finance Minister Eran Wickramaratne yesterday said the Government will disburse close to Rs.4 billion as a broad debt relief program in the Northern Province this week. “In the 2018 Budget we allocated money to deal with this indebtedness. We allocated a total of Rs.2.2 billion to deal with indebtedness. On …

Continue reading ‘Finance Minister Mangala Samaraweera to Initiate Several Programs in North on March 11th to Disburse up to $ Billion Rupees For Debt Relief to Northern People Entrapped in Debt by Micro-finance companies.’ »

Telecommunications, Digital Infrastructure and Foreign Employment Minister Harin Fernando today said extraordinary measures were taken to restrict access to certain social media websites and phone messaging applications. In a statement, the minister said these measures have been taken by the Telecommunications Regulatory Commission (TRC) as an extraordinary but temporary response to limit the increasing spread …

Continue reading ‘Telecommunications Regulatory Commission Restricts Access to Certain Social Media Websites and Phone Messaging Applications as an “Extraordinary” Response to Limit Spread of Hate Speech And Encouragement of Violence States Cabinet Minister Harin Fernando’ »

(Text of Statement Issued by former president Mahinda Rajapaksa on March 7th 2018 under the heading “Increasing tensions between the Sinhala and Muslim communities”) Several violent incidents have taken placein Diganaafter a Sinhala truck driver died in hospital following an assault by a group of Muslim men. The police have made some arrests, but they …

Continue reading ‘Mahinda Rajapaksa To Initiate Dialogue with National Minded Sinhala,Tamil and Muslim Organizations and Individuals to Turn Back the Tide of Communalism.’ »

By Skandha Gunasekara Eleven Muslim MPs led by Commerce and Industry Minister Rishard Bathiudeen sat in the Well of the House yesterday demanding the Government take actions to protect Muslims. The demonstration was staged during an adjournment debate on the current situation in the country in the aftermath of the Sinhala-Muslim clashes. Provincial Councils and …

Continue reading ‘Eleven Muslim MP’s From Different Parties led by Cabinet Minister Rishad Bathiudeen Stage Sit -Down Demonstration During Parliament Sittings Protesting Against Anti -Muslim Violence in Amparai and Kandy Districts’ »

Addressing the House, Tamil National Alliance Jaffna District Parliamentarian M.A. Sumanthiran accused Government leaders of being “spineless” in the face of violence directed against what he called “numerically inferior communities.” “If you can’t stand up for what is right, if you can’t stand for numerically inferior communities in your country, then you have no right …

Continue reading ‘TNA Parliamentarian MA Sumanthiran Flays President, Prime Minister and Cabinet Ministers For Being “Spineless” in the Face Of Violence Directed Against “Numerically Inferior Communities”.’ »

By Skandha Gunasekara Parliament yesterday altered its agenda for the day to hold an urgent adjournment debate on the recent communal unrest in the country in light of the clashes in the Kandy District. Following a party leaders meeting, it was decided that the scheduled debate on the Anti-dumping and Countervailing Bill, initially debated on …

Continue reading ‘“Gangs Who Destroyed Properties Of Muslim People were not Residents of Digana or Teldeniya But Outsiders Who Entered Those Areas After The Sinhala Man Died” Reveals Lakshman Kiriella’ »

By Saman Indrajith The government deliberately delayed taking action to prevent the spread of communal violence, the JVP said yesterday. Addressing a press conference, held at the party headquarters in Pelawatta, JVP leader Anura Kumara Dissanayake said: “In the aftermath of the local government election defeat, the government is in a crisis. The Prime Minister …

Continue reading ‘“Prime Minister Took The Ministry of Law and Order To Manage Internal Problems Of the Party and Not To Establish Law and Order in the Country”- Anura Kumara Dissanayake’ »

By Saman Indrajith Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe yesterday told Parliament that the Cabinet of Ministers had decided to impose a state of emergency for a period of seven days if necessary. The PM was addressing Parliament as the government stepped up security at Teldeniya and Digana areas following incidents of ethnic violence. The Cabinet had …

Continue reading ‘Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe Makes Special Statement in Parliament: Condemns Organized Efforts to Spread racism and Communal Disharmony By Those With Power Hunger to Ride to Power.’ »

President Maithripala Sirisena has declared a State of Emergency for one week with effect from mid-night yesterday, to redress the unsatisfactory security situation prevailing over certain parts of the country. The State of Emergency had been declared, while empowering Section Two of the Public Security Ordinance within a limited scope. The President’s Media Unit (PMD) …

Continue reading ‘President Sirisena Declares State of Emergency Bringing Into Effect Section 2 of the Public Security Ordinance for Seven Days’ »

By Daily FT News Desk The Government yesterday deployed 200 Special Task Force (STF) personnel and declared special area curfew in Digana in the Kandy District, after mobs attacked shops and places of religious worship in the Muslim-majority town. Some 27 Muslim-owned shops and businesses and several houses were set on fire, while at least …

Continue reading ‘Muslims in Digana Closed Their Businesses and Stayed at Home on Police “Advice” But Sinhala Mobs Looted and Torched 27 Deserted Shops,;At Least One Mosque and Some Houses Also Damaged.’ »

The Government yesterday condemned hate and misinformation campaigns targeting the Muslim community in particular, as it issued a strong statement of condemnation after Digana, Kandy became the second town to be swept up in sectarian violence in one week. “The Government of Sri Lanka strongly and unequivocally condemns the recent sporadic incidents of violence that …

Continue reading ‘Govt Issues Strong Statement Condemning Communal Violence in Amparai and Digana and The Misinformation Campaign Targeting the Muslim Community.’ »

By Asela Kuruluwansa& Zahra Imtiaz The Army was called in to control the tense situation in Digana yesterday as crowds pelted stones at the Police trying to bring the prevailing situation under control. Military Spokesperson Brigadier Sumith Atapattu speaking to the Daily News said the Police had requested assistance from the Army and that around …

Continue reading ‘Curfew Declared in Kandy District: 200 Sinha Regiment Soldiers and 1000 Special Task Force Personnel Deployed as Police Fail to Control Anti-Muslim Violence.’ »

(Excerpted From the “Sunday Times”Political Column) Pro-Sirisena SLFP members continued their on-off dialogue with a group of Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) members on forming a new Government under President Sirisena. At issue were a number conditions from the SLPP. Most of these centred on economic policy where the SLPP sought a shift from the …

Continue reading ‘Sirisena and Rajapaksa Have One on One Meeting to Discuss Current Political Situation While Basil Rajapaksa Dodges Telephone Calls from Maithripala and Dudley Sirisena’ »

(Excerpted From Column By “Sunday Times” Political Editor) When the brief but sombre private swearing-in ceremony ended last Sunday, President Maithripala Sirisena made sure those from his Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) proceeded to an upper floor at the Presidential Secretariat. There, a worried looking Sirisena said he bestowed the much-talked-of Law and Order portfolio …

Continue reading ‘President Sirisena Refuses to Appoint Sarath Fonseka as Law and Order Minister Despite Ex- Army Chief Requesting Post in Person and in Spite of Prime Minister Wickremesinghe Asking Maithripala Directly and Writing 5 Letters In Support of Field Marshall’ »

(Excerpted From the “Sunday Times”Political Column) In the midst of a Cabinet reshuffle, Sirisena had some bad news for Wickremesinghe at Tuesday’s weekly ministerial meeting. He said the Cabinet Committee on Economic Management (CCEM) should be wound up. The CCEM set up on September 23, 2015, meets every Wednesday at Temple Trees and is chaired …

Continue reading ‘President Sirisena Upsets Prime Minister Wickremesinghe By a Demand To Dissolve the Cabinet Committe On Economic Management(CCEM)’ »

By Jayadeva Uyangoda Political events that followed the local government election of February 10 as well as last week’s mini cabinet reshuffle have re-energized Sri Lanka’s public discussions on changing the dynamics of current politics. Regular media reporting of actual events as well as the never ending speculation about possible twists and turns in politics, …

Continue reading ‘President Sirisena and Prime Minister Wickremesinghe While Promoting Reconciliation in the Country Should Also Seek Reconciliation Among Themselves.’ »

by Manjula Fernando The aftermath of the local government election has been fraught with political tension and the uncertainties of coalition politics.Leading civil society activist and Secretary of the Consultative Task Force on Reconciliation mechanisms, Dr. Paikiasothy Saravanamuttu says these confusions must not be allowed to overshadow the 2015 mandate for democratic and constitutional reforms.“The …

Continue reading ‘“The country hasn’t given up on the reforms agenda-nor should the government,” – Dr.Paikiasothy Saravanamuttu in Interview’ »

By C.A. Chandraprema On January 8, 2009, it was a diplomat in the Indian High Commission who phoned me and said that Lasantha Wickremetunga had been ‘shot dead’. I was out of Colombo at the time and was not able to go to the Kalubowila hospital where he had been brought following the attack. I …

Continue reading ‘Is There a Politically Orchesrated Attempt To Turn “Sunday Leader” Editor Lasantha Wickrematunge’s Murder Inquiry Towards a Different Direction?’ »

By Kishali Pinto Jayawardene Even as farmers protesting the Rajanganaya Drinking Water Project in Thambuttegama were beaten mercilessly by the police and later arrested en masse this week, law enforcement agencies remained inactive in regard to instigators of communal violence in Ampara, happening uncannily enough in the same approximate time span. What occasions this difference? …

Continue reading ‘Law Enforcement Agencies Crack Down Mercilessly On Protesting Farmers in tambuttegama While Remaining Inactive In Combatting Communal Violence in Amparai’ »

By Mangala Samaraweera We are fortunate to witnessthis moment when the Government led by President Sirisena and Prime Minister Wickremesinghe has given life to an important promise made to the people of this nation. The Office on Missing Persons Act was passed in August 2016 and on 27 February, a seven-member commission was announced to …

Continue reading ‘According to Red Cross(ICRC) Figures Over 16,000 Including 5100 Members of the Armed Forces Have Been Reported Missing During Sri Lanka’s Civil War’ »

By Dr. Bodhini Samaratunga Living among them, working in the heart of the north where people struggled to heal and hoped to survive – This is my story. “If you can’t speak Tamil , then you’d better pack your bags and leave!” the Consultant said in a blunt tone to the doctors who were newly-posted …

Continue reading ‘How A Sinhalese Doctor From the South Learnt Tamil On Her Own While Serving In a Northern Hospital After the War Ended.’ »