More than 1,000 Muslim-owned businesses were shut for the day in the southern Sri Lankan capital of Colombo, as shop owners protested against the attacks on Muslims by Sinhala mobs on the island.

Ibrahim Nisthar Miflal, president of the Muslims Rights Organization, told the Associated Press that the closure was in protest at the lack of response by the government to apprehend those behind the attacks, which saw at least 3 people killed and dozens injured.

The president of the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam has condmned tha attacls on Muslims by Sinhalese mobs in southern Sri Lanka and called on the Indian government to voice concern over the violence.

In a statement issued this week, DMK chief M Karunanidhi said,

"After the genocidal attacks on Tamils in Sri Lanka, Muslims are being attacked now and Centre and state government should come forward to voice concern for their safety."

Muslims in Sri Lanka called on the United Nations to intervene and investigate the ongoing violence in the island after Sinhala mobs attacked Muslim businesses and homes, reports Colombo Page.

The Sri Lanka Muslim Congress (SLMC) leader Rauf Hakeem, yesterday, invited the United Nations special rapporteurs on Minority Issues and Religious Freedom to visit Sri Lanka for an investigation into the deteriorating rights situation in Sri Lanka.

The University of Jaffna Teacher's association held a protest condemning the anti-Muslim violence in Aluthgama.

The cross-faculty demonstration was attended by students and staff, demanding action to be taken against attacks on Muslims and Muslim businesses by Sinhala Buddhist mobs in Aluthgama.

"Then - 1983 - Tamils. Now - 2014 - Muslims"

"Today, non-violent protestors in the South are shot at. Journalists are killed or sent into exile. Dissenters are not welcomed. In the North, the situation is even worse. People are not even allowed the troubled comfort of remembering their dead. Journalists from the critical press are routinely attacked, including in broad daylight."

"The recent report “Stop Torture” provides medical and forensic evidence suggesting that sexual violence and torture against Tamil women and men continues, with reports emerging from as late as January 2014. Further, the evidence suggests that this sexual violence is targeted systematically to suppress the political rights of the Tamil people."

The United States and European Union Delegation in Sri Lanka have both condemned the recent anti-Muslim violence in Sri Lanka, calling for those responsible to be brought to justice.

In the daily press briefing for the US State Department, Spokesperson Jen Psaki started by saying,

“The United States also condemns the continuing violence in Sri Lanka. We are concerned by inflammatory rhetoric that has incited violence in recent days, resulting in several deaths, scores of injuries, and destruction of personal property. We urge the Sri Lankan Government to fulfill its obligations to protect religious minorities, including protecting all citizens and places of worship, conducting a full investigation into the violence, and bringing those responsible to justice.”

A ruling collation MP has called for a referendum to be held in the country to decide whether or not to allow a UN team investigating war crimes violations into the country to carry out the probe. 

United People's Freedom Alliance (UPFA) MP Janaka Priyantha Bandara submitted the motion "The Investigation against Sri Lanka by the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights should not be held" to the Sri Lankan parliament on Tuesday and was adjourned until today.

The murder trial of a British aid worker Khuram Shaikh, killed whilst on holiday in Southern Sri Lanka in 2011, may collapse due to political interference from Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa.

With the trial having undergone several weeks, it has been reported that the presiding High Court judge, Rohini Walgama, has been nominated for a promotion to the Appeal Courts by the Sri Lankan President. If she accepts the promotion, the trial would collapse and have to be started from scratch.

British MP Simon Danczuk, who has campaigned for the killers to be brought to justice said,

“We are very concerned about political interference in this trial and we have been for the last 2 years, whilst we’ve been trying to get the case to court. It looks as though President Rajapapksa in appointing this judge would be moving him away from what could have been a successful trial.”