Tamil language signboards have reportedly been vandalised by unidentified persons across Sri Lanka, just days after Gotabaya Rajapaksa was sworn in as president.
Following last week’s presidential election, a spur of racist events have taken place across the island, in which Tamil language signs are being forcibly removed or vandalised. One such Tamil sign was photographed after being removed and damaged at Panadura.
As images were shared across social media many users expressed their distress, coming just days after the Rajapaksas returned to government.
Sri Lankan parliamentarian Mano Ganesan, tweeted that this may be the “beginning of another dark era? Or an act of Mischief makers”.
According to BBC Sinhala reporter Azzam Ameen, Mahinda Rajapaksa “has ordered Police to immediately inquire and arrest and all those involved… (and) reinstate the damaged boards immediately”.
Earlier this week the Tamil road names of a street in Colombo were removed from signs, and last month a café in Colombo triggered outrage over social media after it displayed a sign instructing its employees that “No Tamil” is to be spoken.
Tamils on the island have long reported discrimination they have faced over the use of the language on the island.
