Everything you need to know about the emergency In Sri Lanka

• Sinhalese Buddhists and Muslims clashed in the districts of Kandy and Ampara.
• A state of emergency was declared in Sri Lanka on March 6th.
• The situation has since stabilised. The government has blocked access to social media and messaging platforms in the affected regions.

On March 6th, the Sri Lankan government declared an emergency for the first time since 2011.

The move was a direct response to the outbreak of riots and clashes between members of the Sinhalese Buddhist community, which comprise 75% of the national population, and the Muslim minority, which make up about 10%, in the central district of Kandy and the eastern district of Ampara.

Sri Lanka is no stranger to communal violence. For decades it endured a civil war with Tamil separatist groups, which concluded in 2009 after the Sri Lankan military seized the last few strongholds belonging to the Tamil Tigers and killed its leader. Then, in 2014, the southwestern region of the island nation was besieged by ethnic riots as Sinhalese Buddhists vandalised Muslim shops and homes.

Since coming to power in early 2015, the coalition government of President Maithripala Sirisena has done a poor job of quelling communal dissent and clipping the wings of organisations like the Bodu Bala Sena (BBS), a Sinhalese extremist group. The most recent clashes follow a strong performance by the party of former Sri Lankan president Mahinda Rajapaksa in local elections. A number of hardline Sinhalese outfits like the BBS are known to support Rajapaksa.

Timeline:

Feb 22nd

According to local media reports, M.G. Kumarasinghe, a 41-year old Sinhalese truck driver, was attacked by a group of Muslim men in Teldeniya, a town in Kandy, over a road dispute. Mr Kumarasinghe refused or was unable to yield the right-of-way to the men, who were travelling in auto-rickshaws. A fight ensued in which Kumarasinghe sustained a number of serious injuries. He was subsequently admitted to the Kandy’s Teaching Hospital the same day. Four men were reportedly arrested by the police for the assault.

Feb 27th

A group of Sinhalese men, who were said to be intoxicated, raided a Muslim-owned restaurant in Ampara, claiming that the establishment laced its food with ‘vandapethi’, a chemical that is believed to result in impotence. The anger of the men stemmed from the belief that Muslims have a clandestine agenda to become the majority group in the Sri Lanka. A cashier at the restaurant was forced to admit that the food was adulterated.

The raid was followed by riots, in which a number of shops and a mosque were vandalised. A police force was deployed to the area.


March 3rd

Kumarasinghe succumbed to his injuries at the hospital in Kandy.

March 4th

In response to Kumarasinghe’s death, a Sinhalese mob attacked and looted Muslim establishments, residences and mosques in Teldeniya. A number of Sinhalese men also shut down their shops to protest the police’s supposed lack of action against Mr Kumarasinghe’s killers.

Night: Two Buddhist extremist clerics, Ampitiye Sumana and Amith Weerasinghe, were reported to be seen inciting riots in the area.

March 5th

Morning: The Sri Lankan government sent hundreds of officers, including the Special Task Force and military personnel, to Teldeniya and neighbouring towns in the district. A number of people were arrested for their participation in the riots the previous day.

11 AM: A mob of Sinhalese men banded together in Teldeniya after a call to assemble was disseminated via social media. They started burning Muslim properties in the town soon after. They also called for the release of 24 men who were arrested.

4 PM: A curfew was imposed in Kandy by the police until 6 AM the following morning.

8 PM: Mangala Samaraweera, Sri Lanka’s minister for finance and media, made his voice heard.

10:44 PM: The Sri Lankan government issued an official statement condemning the violence.


March 6th

Morning: The body of Abdul Basith, a 27-year-old Muslim, was found in the remains of a shop in Kandy. The shop was reportedly set ablaze the previous day by Sinhalese Buddhists.

5:34 PM: The country’s Prime Minister, Ranil Wickremesinghe declared a national state of emergency on Twitter.


Around four mosques, 46 shops, 37 houses and 35 cars in Kandy had been vandalised up until this point, according to Hidayath Sathar, a member of Kandy’s provincial council.

8 PM:The police curfew was re-imposed in Kandy.

9:23 PM: The Sri Lankan government sent military reinforcements to Kandy as the violence continued.


11:03 PM: The US Embassy in Sri Lanka issued a security alert for US citizens.

March 7th

Morning: The police curfew was re-imposed in Kandy again. The government decided to prevent access to social media websites like Facebook and Twitter in the affected regions.

1:25 PM: Former Sri Lankan cricketer Kumar Sangakarra called for unity. His team-mate and captain Sanath Jayasuriya followed soon after.

2:10 PM: A tweet from DialogAxiata, Sri Lanka’s major internet provider, confirmed that access to social media platforms and messaging services would be curtailed indefinitely.


The mob violence continued in Kandy as dozens of Muslim shops and houses were attacked. All government schools in the region were ordered shut until further notice.

March 8th

Morning: Sri Lanka’s Terrorism Investigation Division arrested Amith Weerasinghe and 9 other people for their role in inciting violence.

10 AM: The police curfew was lifted.

12:44 PM: A government official told the police that the rumored sterilising substance that triggered the violence in Ampara on February 27th was actually flour.


Afternoon: A peaceful march took place in the capital city of Colombo. Two prominent television actors were said to be in attendance.


5:24 PM: The Colombo Gazette reported that Jeffrey Feltman, the UN Under-Secretary-General for Political Affairs, had arrived in Sri Lanka.


The streets have been cleared out and the situation was reported to be improving. As things stand, the emergency is expected to last for ten days, after which the Sri Lankan Parliament will debate an extension.