Sri Lanka: Curfew in Kandy lifted March 10, state of emergency remains in place /update 3

Event

A curfew imposed on March 7 in Kandy administrative district following violent clashes in the area was reportedly lifted on Saturday, March 10. Security contingents have been deployed to the district to prevent unrest from spreading, and there continues to be a high security presence and roadblocks across Kandy city as of Sunday. Further curfews and travel disruptions are possible in the area over the coming days.

On Friday, March 9, hundreds of activists and Buddhist monks reportedly staged a peaceful protest against anti-Muslim riots in Colombo. Similar demonstrations cannot be ruled out in a near future.

The 10-day nationwide state of emergency, declared March 6, remains in place. Authorities have continued to block and restrict access to certain social media sites and messaging platforms, due to alleged use of various platforms (e.g. Facebook and Whatsapp) to incite violence. There have not been reports of any violent incidents in major tourist areas elsewhere in the country, and operations at Colombo’s Bandaranaike International Airport (CMB) remain unaffected.

Context

The government declared a ten-day nationwide state of emergency on March 6 following clashes that broke out between Buddhists and Muslims in Kandy. A local curfew was first imposed in the district on March 5, after days of unrest between the two religious communities. Two people have been killed in the violence, including one Buddhist killed by a Muslim mob and one Muslim killed in a fire; a number of Muslim business have been set on fire by Buddhist extremists and a mosque was attacked the week prior.

Tensions have been intensifying between the two communities in Sri Lanka over the past year, with some hardline Buddhist groups accusing Muslims of forcing people to convert to Islam and vandalizing Buddhist sites. In November 2017, riots in the south of the island left one man dead. In June 2014, riots between Buddhists and Muslims left four dead and many more injured.

Advice

Individuals present in Sri Lanka are advised to avoid Kandy district and follow all instructions issued by authorities (e.g. curfews). As a general precaution, individuals are advised to avoid all large gatherings.