The Sri Lankan prime minister, Ranil Wickremesinghe attempted to blame the "extremists who had come outside" for the anti-Muslim violence in Kandy. 

Several Muslim shops, mosques and homes were attacked this week by Sinhala mobs roaming through villages in the region. 

"Buddhist and the Islamic clergy in Digana and Theldeniya were engaged in a dialogue to resolve the issue peacefully but a group of extremists who had come from outside were the culprits who were engaged in violence," Mr Wickremesinghe told parliament on Monday. 

The UN office in Colombo today condemned the violence perpetrated by Sinhala mobs against the Muslim community in Kandy. 

Calling for immediate action to be taken against the perpetrators and that normalcy is returned, the UN Colombo office said, "The United Nations also urges authorities, and all citizens to ensure that the rule of law is upheld, human rights are protected, and security and safety is ensured for all." 

Yesterday the government declared a state of emergency, however anti-Muslim violence continues to be reported. 

The UN under secretary general, Jeffrey Feltman is due to visit Sri Lanka this week. 

In an unexplained move, Sri Lanka's Telecommunications and Regulatory Commission has ordered service providers to block mobile internet access in the violence struck region of Kandy. 

Earlier today, Sri Lanka’s largest mobile internet provider, in a tweet that has now been deleted, announced that mobile internet access had been restricted in the region following orders from the Commission.

The news comes has reports of further anti-Muslim violence in the region emerged over night.

The Sri Lankan president, Maithripala Sirisena on Monday pledged to protect local industries, stating he would not allow any Foreign Direct Investment at their detriment. 

Making these comments at a meeting with ministers and industry leaders, Mr Sirisena said he had given instructions to the Board of Investment of Sri Lanka to not allow any foreign investment that would be a challenge to local industries. 

He was paying his attention "regarding the difficulties faced by local businessmen due to the granting of permission to a foreign retail networks to engage in business in Sri Lanka", he was quoted by Colombo Page as saying. 

Sri Lankan authorities must ensure that human rights are upheld, Amnesty International said today, after the government declared a statement of emergency following Sinhala mob led attacks against Muslims in Kandy. 

"It is important that the authorities take action against mobs who have incited hatred and carried out acts of violence against religious minorities. They have a duty to protect vulnerable groups and hold the perpetrators accountable. But a state of emergency must not become a pretext for further human rights abuses," Amnesty's South Asia director, Biraj Patnaik said on Tuesday. 

The United National Under Secretary General for political affairs, Jeffrey Feltman is to visit Sri Lanka on March 9, the UN spokesperson announced on Tuesday as the country declared a state of emergency over anti-Muslim riots in Kandy. 

Muslim businesses and mosques were burnt by Sinhala mobs. Twenty-four people have been arrested, however tensions in the region remain high with ongoing reports of Muslim shops, mosques and home facing attacks. 

Mr Feltman's visit, which was planned ahead of current events, will be his third visit to the island. He is expected to meet with the goverment as well as political parties and civil society groups. 

A Sri Lankan brigadier who threatened Tamil protestors in London will be attending a five-month course in China to “better his professional prospects”, according to the military.

The Daily Mirror reported that Brigadier Priyanka Fernando is scheduled to leave to China to attend the course, following a recommendation made whist he was serving as Sri Lanka’s Defence attaché to the High Commission in the UK.

It was in that role that Brigadier Fernando was filmed motioning a death threat to Tamil protestors in London last month, running his finger across his neck.

Tamil Civil Society organisations across the North-East of Sri Lanka have unequivocally condemned recent incidents of anti-Muslim violence that occurred earlier this week.

Slamming the government’s failure to address impunity of previous incidents of anti-muslim violence, a statement released today, said,

The Sri Lankan government has declared a state of emergency across the island for at least 10 days, after Sinhala mobs launched a deadly anti-Muslim riot in Kandy yesterday.

The Sri Lankan military announced that it had opened a new “utility building complex” for soldiers stationed at the Sri Lankan Security Force Headquarters in Kilinochchi.