Muslims in the Eastern Province protested last week over the Sri Lankan government's proposed changes to Muslim Personal Law in order comply with EU conditions for GSP+.
Accusing the EU of intervening in Sri Lanka's internal affairs, protest organisers, the Sri Lanka Thawheed Jamaath (SLTJ), told the BBC, "the EU has imposed conditions that certain amendments should be made to the Muslim Marriage and Divorce Law, the main special feature and the main part of the Sri Lankan Muslim Community's civil law."
"A mandatory duty of Muslims is to follow the Holy Koran on how Muslims should be married. We want Sri Lanka's civil rights to be fulfilled according to Islamic principles," an SLTJ member added.
The 1951 Muslim Marriage and Divorce Act (MMDA) as it is formally known has been criticised for its discrimination against women.
The Muslim Council of Sri Lanka has however welcomed the changes, Colombo Page reported.