Sri Lanka: Nationwide state of emergency lifted March 18 /update 4

Event

The nationwide state of emergency, in place following violent clashes in Kandy, has been lifted on Sunday, March 18. Restrictions on social media sites and messaging platforms (including Facebook) were rescinded earlier in the week. There is likely to be a continued heightened security presence in Kandy over the coming weeks, and further local curfews should not be discounted.

Context

The government declared a nationwide state of emergency on March 6 following clashes that broke out between Buddhists and Muslims in Kandy, during which several locals were killed and numerous Muslim businesses and mosques were attacked and damaged. The state of emergency gave authorities increased powers to impose roadblocks and curfews, control public gatherings, and to search and arrest individuals. A local curfew imposed in Kandy district was lifted on March 10. Security contingents were deployed to Kandy district to prevent unrest from spreading, while authorities also blocked and restricted access to certain social media sites and messaging platforms nationwide due to the alleged use of various platforms to incite violence.

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 closely monitor the security situation in Kandy district and follow all instructions issued by authorities (e.g. curfews). As a general precaution, individuals are advised to avoid all large gatherings.