Sri Lanka’s police allowed an event by the Bodu Bala Sena to go ahead earlier today (Monday), reports The Island, whilst a protest by Muslims against the violence, also scheduled for today, was called off after police warned that this could further inflame religious tension.
Police spokesman SSP Ajith Rohana said on Sunday that the BBS event would not be stopped as it was a "religious event", but that action would be taken if racism was incited.
When contacted by the Island, the Chief Executive Officer of the BBS, Dilanthe Vithanage, said on Sunday that they were planning to hold the religious event with the participation of 300 to 400 Buddhist monks from Mahiyanganaya, Colombo and Kandy.
The BBS, a group led by Buddhist monks, has previously held rallies with inflammatory speeches, recently leading to violence against Muslims in the Sinhala south, leaving at least 4 people dead.
We need your support
Sri Lanka is one of the most dangerous places in the world to be a journalist. Tamil journalists are particularly at threat, with at least 41 media workers known to have been killed by the Sri Lankan state or its paramilitaries during and after the armed conflict.
Despite the risks, our team on the ground remain committed to providing detailed and accurate reporting of developments in the Tamil homeland, across the island and around the world, as well as providing expert analysis and insight from the Tamil point of view
We need your support in keeping our journalism going. Support our work today.
For more ways to donate visit https://donate.tamilguardian.com.
