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ඉන්දිකා රාමනායක සහ තරිඳු ජයවර්ධන

මහනුවර ගැටුම්කාරී තත්ත්වයක් නිර්මාණය කිරීමට සහ ජාතීන් අතර අසමගිය ඇතිවන ආකාරයට අසත්‍ය තොරතුරු ප්‍රචාරය කිරීම සම්බන්ධයෙන් 10 දෙනකු අත්අඩංගුවට ගත් බව පොලිස් මාධ්‍ය ප්‍රකාශක පොලිස් අධිකාරී රුවන් ගුණසේකර මහතා කියයි.

ත්‍රස්ත විමර්ශන කොට්ඨාසයේ නියෝජ්‍ය පොලිස්පතිවරයාගේ ප්‍රධානත්වයෙන් මේ සම්බන්ධයෙන් විමර්ශන ආරම්භ කළ බවත් ඒ අනුව එම කොට්ඨාසයේ නිලධාරීන් කණ්ඩායමක් මහනුවරට පරීක්ෂණ ආරම්භ කළ බවත් එම විමර්ශනයේ ප්‍රතිඵලයක් ලෙස සැකකරුවන් දස දෙනා අත්අඩංගුවට ගත් බවත් ගුණසේකර මහතා පවසයි. 

මෙම ක්‍රියාවන්ට සම්බන්ධ ප්‍රධාන සැකකරු විදාන පතිරණගේ අජිත් ජීවන් වීරසිංහ බවත් අනිත් ප්‍රධාන සැකකරු සුරේද සුරවිර බවත් අත්අඩංගුවට ගත්තවුන් අතර මේ දෙදෙනාද සිටින බවත් පොලිස් මාධ්‍ය ප්‍රකාශකවරයා ප්‍රකාශ කරයි.

මෙම සැකකරුවන් දිගන හා පූජාපිටිය ප්‍රදේශවලදී අත්අඩංගුවට ගෙන ඇති අතර ඔවුන්ගෙන් අට දෙනකුම මහනුවර දිස්ත්‍රික්කයෙන් පිට පදිංචිකරුවන් බව පොලිසිය කියයි. ඔවුන්ගෙන් ප්‍රශ්න කිරීමේදී මෙය සැලසුම් කළ ආකාරය ගැන අනාවරණය වෙමින් පවතින බවත්, එම තොරතුරු අනුව මීට සම්බන්ධ සෙසු සියලු සැකකරුවන් තරාතිරම නොබලා අත්අඩංගුවට ගන්නා බව පොලිසිය සඳහන් කරයි.

අත්අඩංගුවට ගත් එක් ප්‍රධාන සැකකරුවකු ගිංතොට කළබලය අවස්ථාවේ එම ප්‍රදේශයේ විහාරස්ථානයකට ගොස් ප්‍රචණ්ඩකාරීව හැසිරෙන ආකාරය ප්‍රදේශයේ තරුණයන්ට කියා දී ඇතැයි ද, ඔහු ගැන එදිනම පොලිසියට දැනුම්දී ඇතැයි ද දැනගන්නට තිබේ.

http://www.lankadeepa.lk/latest_news/%E0%B6%B8%E0%B7%84%E0%B6%B1%E0%B7%94%E0%B7%80%E0%B6%BB-%E0%B6%9C%E0%B7%90%E0%B6%A7%E0%B7%94%E0%B6%B8%E0%B7%9A-%E0%B6%B1%E0%B7%92%E0%B6%BB%E0%B7%8A%E0%B6%B8%E0%B7%8F%E0%B6%AB%E0%B6%9A%E0%B6%BB%E0%B7%94%E0%B7%80%E0%B6%B1%E0%B7%8A-10-%E0%B6%9A%E0%B7%8A-%E0%B6%85%E0%B6%AD%E0%B7%8A%E0%B6%85%E0%B6%A9%E0%B6%82%E0%B6%9C%E0%B7%94%E0%B7%80%E0%B6%A7/1-525322

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Sri Lanka 'on the brink' amid fresh anti-Muslim violence
Mob attacks in Kandy are targeted and well planned, witnesses say, as fears grow over threats to Sri Lanka's stability.

Ambatenna, Sri Lanka - The Sinhalese Buddhist mob came by the hundreds, screaming at the top of their lungs and carrying sticks, stones and petrol bombs, as they descended on the hill town of Ambatenna in central Sri Lanka on Wednesday.

Some two dozen policemen and soldiers watched helplessly, according to residents, as the mob vandalised and set fire to Muslim homes and businesses in the town's Welekada area.

"We were so scared," Fathima Zameer told Al Jazeera, clutching her three-week-old infant as she recounted the violence that swept through her neighbourhood that morning.

"We have nowhere to go. They broke all the windows in my house. Our whole house is burnt."

The mob, which witnesses said was between 200 and 500-strong, overran Welekada defying a curfew and a state of emergency imposed by President Maithiripala Sirisena a day earlier to quell anti-Muslim riots that began in the highland district of Kandy over the weekend.

In Welekada, rioters vandalised at least 15 houses belonging to Sri Lanka's Muslim minority and a mosque, residents told Al Jazeera. Four of the buildings and several vehicles were also torched.

The attacks have raised fears of a return to conflict and instability in Sri Lanka, less than a decade after the South Asian island nation ended a bloody civil war with Tamil separatists.

The latest bout of communal violence began on Sunday when a man from the mainly Buddhist Sinhalese majority died after being beaten by a group of Muslim men over a traffic accident in the town of Teledeniya in Kandy, an area famous for its tea plantations and Buddhist religious sites.

The next day, hundreds of Sinhala Buddhists, mostly outsiders, according to officials and residents, poured into Kandy and attacked and torched dozens of Muslim businesses, houses and mosques. The body of a 23-year-old Muslim man was found in a burned building, and the government, fearing more violence, imposed a state of emergency on Tuesday. It also deployed the army and extended a police curfew in the region.

The violence, however, continued. Overnight on Wednesday "several incidents" were reported in four towns, said Ruwan Gunasekara, a police spokesman.

Three police officers were injured during clashes in Menikhinna, he said. Later in the day, Ambatenna was attacked and a Sinhalese man was killed there after a hand grenade he was carrying exploded.

Gunasekara said security forces have arrested about 35 people since the riots began.

The government has also suspended internet services in the area and blocked access to Facebook and other social messaging applications including Whatsapp and Viber in an attempt to halt incendiary rumours.

'We don't feel safe'
Shukry Cassim, whose four-bedroom house was vandalised in Welekada, said he was "petrified".

"We don't feel safe. All our children are traumatised. We don't know where to go, or who to trust," the 27-year-old accountant told Al Jazeera, standing in front of the burned hulk of his car in his garage.

"We don't know why this is happening. The mob is not from our area. We don't know them," he said. "But they couldn't have done this without the support of people from our area because they have targeted the Muslim houses, and excluded the non-Muslim houses."

Cassim, however, said the violence was instigated by "a few people".

Relations between Muslims and Buddhists in the Kandy district have been historically harmonious, he said, adding: "We share food during religious festivals, we play together and buy goods from each other's shops."

Analysts say tensions flared up between the two communities because of the rise of Buddhist nationalist groups following the end of the country's three-decade war. These groups include the monk-led Bodu Bala Sena, which has links to Buddhist hardline groups in Myanmar.

They are widely perceived to have the support of former President Mahinda Rajapakse, and accuse the Muslims, who make up 10 percent of Sri Lanka's 21 million population, of forcing people to convert to Islam and of destroying sacred Buddhist sites. Prior to the Kandy riots, at least three other major incidents of anti-Muslim violence have been reported in the past year.

"Sri Lanka is on the brink," said Alan Keenan, a researcher at the International Crisis Group.

"These attacks are organised, well-planned," he said. "And there is good reason to believe they are partly designed to provoke a Muslim response, which would then justify more violence against Muslims." 

The Muslim community has "been admirably restrained" so far, he said. But if the minority retaliates by attacking the Sinhalese community, "other Sinhalese will then feel threatened and participate in a way they haven't yet".

Police inaction
Keenan also said he was concerned by the inability of the army and the police to control the riots.

"The reason for this is unclear - whether they [the security forces] have been badly deployed, or deployed in inadequate numbers. What worries me is the hypothesis that some significant degree of the police and military are sympathetic to the rioters, which would not be surprising," he said, referring to reports of state collusion in the clashes that broke out between Muslims and Buddhists in 2014 which left four dead and many injured.

A third factor may be that security forces are "cautious" to act, Keenan said, because of Sirisena's coalition government's humiliating defeat to Rajapakse's party in local council elections in February.

Sirisena ousted Rajapakse, who is accused of authoritarianism, corruption and human rights abuses, in 2015 after campaigning on a platform of national reconciliation and constitutional reform. However, the coalition that brought the president to power was in tatters ahead of the February vote.

Rajapakse's party win "emboldened" Sinhala Buddhist hardline groups and "more crucially, police and other state officials are now more likely to hedge their bets," said Keenan.

"They [the police] may not be sure if they should go after the rioters. Because they are known to have the sympathy, if not the active support of Rajapakse and his people.

"If Rajapakse and his people are going to be running the government soon, which is possible, a police officer wouldn't want to be known as the courageous guy who did his duty and stopped the violence."

Government in jeopardy
If the clashes continued, said Paikiasothy Saravanamuttu, executive director at the Centre for Policy Alternatives, a Colombo-based think-tank, the future of Sirisena's government could be in jeopardy.

"Some say [the riots are instigated] to show that this government is incompetent and incapable," he said. "Others say this is to create instability, which will expedite yet another regime change."

Urging Sirisena and Prime Minister Ranil Wickeremasinghe to "act fast, quickly and decisively," Saravanamuttu said security forces must arrest perpetrators of the violence and "it should be communicated to the country at large that we are a multi-ethnic, multi-religious country and we intend to stay so".

The conflict could also affect Sri Lanka's economic recovery after decades of war, he warned.

"If we continue with emergencies and blocking social media, tourists are not going to come and investors are going to start thinking twice," he said.

Back in Welekade, Zameer said she was "hurt" and "heartbroken" by the violence.

"We want safety and security. We don't want anyone to face this," she said.

Cassim echoed her sentiments: "I have tasted the bitterness of war. And I want peace."

Irfan Cader reported from Ambatenna. Zaheena Rasheed reported and wrote from Doha.

https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2018/03/sri-lanka-brink-fresh-anti-muslim-violence-180307203031915.html

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https://youtu.be/IF2mHCJyUvk

අම්පාර – තෙල්දෙණිය ප්‍රදේශවල සිදු වූ ලේ වැකි සිද්ධිදාමයේ මහ මොළකරු කොළඹ දිස්ත්‍රික්කයෙන් පාර්ලිමේන්තුවට පැමිණි, ජාතික ඇඳුම් අදින, උස හීන්දෑරි හාදයකු බව ජාතික නිදහස් පෙරමුණේ නායක විමල් වීරවංශ මහතා හෙළිකර සිටියේය.

අද (06) පාර්ලිමේන්තුවේ පැවති කල්තැබීමේ විවාදයට එක්වෙමින් ඒ මහතා මෙසේ හෙළිකර සිටියේය.

එහිදී වැඩිදුරටත් අදහස් දැක්වූ විමල් වීරවංශ මහතා මෙසේ ද සඳහන් කළේය.

“තෙල්දෙණියේ ලේ වැකි සිද්ධිදාමය හේතුවෙන් කුමාරසිංහ නමැති සිංහල දෙදරු පියකු ද අබිදුල් බාස්ත් නැමැති මුස්ලිම් තරුණයකු ද මියගියා. මේ දෙදෙනාම ලක්මාතාවගේ දරුවෝ. මම පළමුවෙන්ම මේ අයගෙ පවුල් වෙත ඒකාබද්ධ විපක්ෂය ලෙස අපගේ සාතිශය සංවේගය පළ කර සිටිනවා.

මැතිවරණයෙන් පසුව ආණ්ඩුව අර්බුදයට ගිහින් තිබෙන වෙලාවේ, අග්‍රාමාත්‍යවරයාට එරෙහිව අභ්‍යන්තර කැරැල්ලක් නිර්මාණය වී ඇති වෙලාවේ, ඒ සියලූ මාතෘකා යටපත් කරලා රටට අහිතකර මාතෘකාවක් අද නිර්මාණය කරලා තිබෙනවා. ආණ්ඩුව මේ අහිතකර තත්වය පාලනය කිරීම හිතාමතාම පැහැර හැර ඇති බවයි අපට පෙනෙන්නේ.

ඒකාබද්ධ විපක්ෂයේ මහනුවර දිස්ත්‍රික් පාර්ලිමේන්තු මන්ත්‍රී දිලුම් අමුණුගම මන්ත්‍රීවරයා මධ්‍යම පළාත භාර නියෝජ්‍ය පොලිස්පතිවරයාගෙන් ඉල්ලා සිටියා, ‘ගැටුම්කාරී සිදුවීමක් ඇතිවිය හැකියි. එය පාලනය කිරීමට මැදිහත් වෙන්න’ කියා. නමුත් නියෝජ්‍ය පොලිස්පතිවරයා එය පිළිගත්තේ නැහැ. ඔහු කියා තිබෙනවා ‘අපි එම තත්ත්වය පාලනය කර තිබෙනවා. ඒ ගැන අපි බලාගන්නම්’ කියලා.

නමුත් තෙල්දෙණිය ප්‍රදේශයේ මවුලවීතුමකු සිදුව ඇති තත්වය පිළිබඳ මාධ්‍යයට ලබා දුන් ප්‍රකාශයක් අප සතුව තිබෙනවා. මෙම ප්‍රකාශයට අදාළ වීඩියෝපට මේ වන විට මුහුණුපොතේ ද තිබෙනවා. එතුමා ප්‍රකාශ කරනවා ‘පොලිසියෙන් අපට කීවා, ගෙවල් ඇතුළට වෙලා ඉන්න. අපි ආරක්ෂාව සලසනවා කියලා. අපි ගෙවල් ඇතුළට වෙලා ඉදිද්දි ලයිට් කැපුවා. ඒ ලයිට් කපපු වෙලාවේ තමයි සංවිධානාත්මක පිරිස් ඇවිත් ගිනි තියාගෙන ගියේ’ යනුවෙන්. ඒ අනුව ඉතා පැහැදිලිව පෙනෙනවා, මේක පූර්ව සැලැසුමකට අනුව සිදු කළ දෙයක් කියලා.

මේ දිනවල ස්වාධීන රූපවාහිනියේ පෙන්වන ‘කූඹියො’් ටෙලි නාට්‍යයේ ඉන්නවා ‘ජෙහාන්’ කියලා ගේම්කාරයෙක්. ඒ වගේ මේ ලේ වැකි සිද්ධිදාමය පිටුපස්සේ ද ජෙහාන් කෙනෙක්, ගේම්කාරයෙක්, මහ මොළකරුවෙක් ඉන්නවා. එයා කොළඹ දිස්ත්‍රික්කයෙන් පාර්ලිමේන්තුවට ආපු, ජාතික ඇඳුම අඳින, උස හීන්දෑරි හාදයෙක්. ඔහු තමයි මේ ලේ වැකි සංවිධානාත්මක අපරාධය පිටුපස්සේ ඉන්නේ. අම්පාර හෝටලයකට ගිහින් මේ සිද්ධිදාමයට අදාළ පළමු ගිනිකුර පත්තු කළේ කවුද, කියා මේ ආණ්ඩුව කිසිම සොයා බැලීම්ක් කළා ද?
මා ජවිපෙ නායක අනුර දිසානායකගේ කතාව අසාගෙන සිටියා. ඔහු අපේ ආණ්ඩුව කාලයේ අලූත්ගම සිදුවූ අවාසනාවන්ත සිදුවීම් ගැන කීවේ කුමක්ද? ‘ඒක රාජපක්ෂවරුන්ගේ බලය තහවුරු කර ගැනීමට සිදු කළ දෙයක්’ කියලයි. මෙදා කීවේ, ‘බලයේ ඉන්න අය බලය තහවුරු කර ගැනීමටත් බලයට එන්න ඉන්න අය බලය ලබා ගන්නත් මේ දේවල් කරනවා’ කියලයි.

එදා බලයට එන්න බලා ගෙන හිටපු රනිල් වික්‍රමසිංහලාට එයා ඇඟිල්ල එසවූයේ නැහැ. ඇයි තමුන්නාන්සේලා බලයට ආවට පස්සේ අලූත්ගම සිදුවීම පිළිබඳව සොයා බලන්න කොමිසමක් පත් නොකළේ? එහෙම ක්‍රියාමාර්ගයක් ගත්තා නම් අද මෙවැනි ලේ වැකි සිද්ධිදාමයක් නිර්මාණය කිරීමට ඉඩ ලැබෙන්නේ නැහැ.

තෙල්දෙණියට පොලිසිය, එස්.ටී.එෆ්. ආවේ ප්‍රමාද වෙලා. ඒ එනකොට සිද්ධ වෙන්න ඕනෑ සියල්ල සිදු වෙලා ඉවරයි. ඔවුන් ආවේ සංවිධානාත්මක අපරාධ කල්ලියකට මේ අපරාධය සිදු කිරීමට ඉඩදීමෙන් අනතුරුවයි.”

අනුරුද්ධ බණ්ඩාර රණවාරන
මාධ්‍ය ලේකම්,
ජාතික නිදහස් පෙරමුණ.

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මහනුවර පරිපාලන දිස්ත්‍රික්කයට ඇඳිරි නීතිය පනවා තිබියදී ඊයේ මැණික්හින්නේ පල්ලියක් අසළ කළහකාරී ලෙස හැසිරීම සම්බන්ධයෙන් අත්අඩංගුවට ගෙන ඇති සිවුදෙනාගෙන් තිදෙනෙකු ආරක්ෂක අංශ
සාමාජිකයන් බව වාර්තා වේ.

ඉන් එක් අයෙකු මේවනවිටත් ශ්‍රී ලංකා පොලිස් දෙපාර්තමේන්තුවේ රාජකාරියේ යෙදෙන්නෙකු බවත් අනෙක් දෙදෙනා හිටපු යුද හමුදා සාමාජිකයෙකු හා හිටපු නාවික හමුදා සාමාජිකයෙකු බව පැවසේ.

ඊයේ(06) රාත්‍රියේත් පුද්ගලයන් 400 ක පමණ කණ්ඩායමක් මැණික් හින්න ප්‍රදේශයේ කලහකාරී ලෙස හැසිරෙන්නට වූ බවත් හදිසි නීතිය යටතේ පවත්නා නීතිය සහ සාමාන්‍ය නීතිය යටතේ පිරිස පාලනය කිරීමට අහසට වෙඩි තබන්නට සිදුවූ බවත් පොලීසිය සඳහන් කරයි.
මෙහිදී පිරිස විසුරුවා හරින්නට පොලිසිය අහසට වෙඩි තැබූ බවද වාර්තා විය.

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ජාතිවාදී ගැටුම පසුපස
කූඹියෝ ජෙහාන් වගේ සිටින්නේ
‘කොළඹ උස හීන්දෑරියා‘ යයි විමල්ගේ උපහැරණය


මේ දිනවල මහනුවර ඇතිව තිබෙන ජාතිවාදී ගැටලුව මේ වනවිට එක් එක් දේශපාලකයින් තමන්ට වාසියට හරවා ගන්නා අවස්ථාවක් බවටද පත්කරගෙන තිබේ.
පාර්ලිමේන්තු මන්ත්‍රී විමල් වීරවංශ ප්‍රකාශ කළේ ‘ගේම්කාරයකු‘ මෙම සිද්ධි පිටුපස සිටින බවයි.
ඔහු ව්‍යංගාර්ථයෙන් ඒ බව කියා සිටියේ හීන්දෑරි ජාතික ඇඳුම අඳින කොළඹ දිස්ත්‍රික්කයෙන් පාර්ලිමේන්තුවට පැමිණි පුද්ගලයකු මෙම ගැටුම සැලසුම් කරන බවයි.
එම ගේම්කාරයා ඔහු සමාන කළේ ස්වාධීන රූපවාහිනි සේවයේ විකාශය වන "කූඹියෝ" ටෙලි නාට්‍යයේ ජෙහාන් ප්‍රනාන්දුටය.
"මෙවැනි සිද්ධියක් සිදුවෙයි කියලා දිලුම් අමුණුගම මන්ත්‍රිවරයා නියෝජ්‍ය පොලිස්පතිතුමාට දැනුම් දුන්නා. නමුත් එයට යහපත් ප්‍රතිචාරයක් ලැබුණේ නැහැ. තත්ත්වය පාලනය කරලා තියෙන්නේ කියලා
නියෝජ්‍ය පොලිස්පතිවරයා කියලා තියෙනවා.


මේක සංවිධානාත්මකව ක්‍රියා කරලා තියෙන්නේ. කූඹියෝ ටෙලි නාට්‍යයේ චරිතයක් තියෙනවා ජෙහාන් කියලා. මේ ජෙහාන් කරන්නේ ගේම් ගහන එක. ජෙහාන් වගේ ගේම්කාරයෙක් තමයි මේ පිටුපස ඉන්නේ. ඒ කියන්නේ හීන්දෑරි ජාතික ඇඳුම අඳින කොළඹ දිස්ත්‍රික්කයෙන් පාර්ලිමේන්තුවට පැමිණි පුද්ගලයකු තමයි මෙම ගැටුම් සඳහා පළමු ගිනිකූර පත්තු කළේ. මේ ජෙහාන් කවුද?"

විමල් කියූ මෙම කාරණාව ගැන ඊයේ කැබිනට් ප්‍රවෘත්ති සාකච්ඡාවේදී විමසන ලදුව ඇමති රාජිත කියා සිටියේ මේ ගැන කරන පරීක්ෂණයට ඒ පුද්ගලයා ගැන විමල්ට සාක්ෂි ලබාදිය හැකි බවයි.

අමාත්‍ය පාඨලී චම්පික රණවක මහතා ඊයේ (07) මේ චෝදනාව ගැන මාධ්‍ය සාකච්ඡාවකදී විමසන ලදුව ඔහු කියා සිටියේ විමල්ගේ කතා වලට උත්තර දීම පලක් නොවන කාරණාවක් බවයි.

Video URL : https://youtu.be/V_V5cF0Ofpw

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A divided Digana falls Isolated incident used to fuel tension

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ඉන්දිකා රාමනායක සහ තරිඳු ජයවර්ධන

අම්පාරේ කඩයකදී වඳ පෙති යැයි කියමින් පොලිසියට භාර දුන් ආහාර වල තිබී ඇත්තේ පිෂ්ඨය සහිත ආහාර කොටසක් බවට නිගමනය කරන්නේ යැයි රජයේ රසපරීක්ෂක ඒ වැලිඅංගගේ මහතා පොලිසියට දන්වා යවා තිබේ.

එම සැකකටයුතු ආහාර කැබැල්ලෙන් පිෂ්ඨය හදුනාගත් බවත් එම පිෂ්ඨය ආහාරයකම කොටසක් විය හැකි බවත් රස පරීක්ෂක වරයා වැඩි දුරටත් සඳහන් කර තිබෙන බව පොලිස් මුලස්ථාන ආරංචි මාර්ග සඳහන් කරයි

අම්පාර නගරයේ පිහිටි කඩයක රාත්‍රී ආහාර ගනිමින් සිටි පුද්ගලයෙක් පාරාටා කැබැල්ලක තිබී මෙම පිෂ්ඨ කොටස සොයා ගෙන ඇති අතර එය මිනිසුන් වඳ භාවයට පත් කිරිමට යොදා ගන්නා පෙත්තක් යැයි සමාජ මාධ්‍ය හරහා ප්‍රකාශ යවා තිබිණි.

එම සිදුවීමෙන් පසු අදාල වෙළෙඳසැලට මැර ප්‍රහාරයක් එල්ල වී තිබුණ අතර ප්‍රහාරයට සැකපිට කිහිපදෙනෙකු  අත්අඩංගුවට ගත් බව පොලිසිය කියයි.

එම සිඳු වීමෙන් පසු නිවේදනයක් නිකුත් කරමින් සෞඛ්‍ය සේවා අධ්‍යක්ෂක ජනරාල් අනිල් ජාසිංහ මහතා ප්‍රකාශ කළේ මිනිසුන් වඳ භාවයට පත් කළ හැකි ඖෂධ වර්ගයක් ලෝකයේ සොයා ගෙන නොමැති බවයි.

ව්‍යාජ ප්‍රකාශ පතුරවමින් කළබල ඇතිකිරිමට උත්සහ කළ පිරිස් සම්බන්ධයෙන් නීතිය ක්‍රියාත්මක  කරන බව පොලිසිය කියයි.

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2018 anti-Muslim riots in Sri Lanka

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Anti-Muslim Riots in Sri Lanka
Part of 2018 Anti-Muslim riots in Sri Lanka
Ampara Kandy
Location	Ampara and Kandy District, Sri Lanka
Date	26 February - Ongoing
Target	Mosques, Muslim-owned property and Muslim civilians
Deaths	2
Non-fatal injuries	5 (Ampara) Unknown in Kandy District

The 2018 Buddhist-Muslim riots in Sri Lanka are ongoing religious and ethnic riots in Sri Lanka that occurred in Ampara on 26-27 February 2018, and in the wider Kandy District from 2 March 2018 onward. Muslim citizens, mosques and other properties were attacked by mobs of Sinhalese Buddhists, leading to 5 non-fatal casualties in Ampara, and at least two confirmed deaths in the Kandy District.^[1][2][3] The riots in the Kandy District began in Udispattuwa and Teldeniya, later spreading to Digana, Tennekumbura and other areas. The attacks in Kandy stemmed from an assault related to a road accident (and the death of a victim of the assault) which later turned into a sectarian incident. The riots, the first large scale Buddhist-Muslim altercations since smilar events in 2014, prompted the Government to declare a State of Emergency for a period of ten days, the first such instance in seven years since 2011.^[4][5] This followed a curfew imposed on the Kandy District immediately following the incident, which saw widespread property damage and destruction.

Social media networks including WhatsApp, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram have been blocked in parts of the country in an effort to prevent mobs from organizing their attacks and spread propaganda.^[6][7][8]

Contents

[hide]

• 1Background
  • 1.1Ampara
  • 1.2Kandy District
• 2Riots and violence
  • 2.1Ampara
  • 2.2Kandy District
• 3Response
  • 3.1Ampara
  • 3.2Kandy District
• 4Other events
• 5See also
• 6References

Background

Sri Lanka has seen several racially-charged incidents between the majority Sinhala community and the country's Muslim minority. Ampara District had experienced tensions since 2017, with Buddhist groups accusing Muslims of forced conversions and vandalising Buddhist archaeological sites.^[9]

Ampara

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On 26 February 2018 during the midnight time it was revealed that some group of youngsters went to a restaurant which is situated in the vicinity of temple junction in Ampara town (on the D.S Senanayake Street) and had ordered food items including Parotta for dinner. But the gang of youngsters have flared up after some tablets found in a meal served by a wayside restaurant. The video of the scared Muslim restaurant owner admitting to putting sterilization pills was shared through social media.^[10][11] Later on the youngsters argued and quarrelled against the owner of the restaurant and the attack was launched by the specific mob further spreading the rumour that a Muslim restaurant in the Ampara town has been using sterilization pills continuously on the food items.^[12][13] While the police arrested the restaurant owner as a result of the video the claim was proven to be false and the owner only nodded his head in fear of the angry gang and not knowing the actual meaning of the Sinhala word 'wandapethi' meaning sterilization pills.^[10]

Kandy District

At 2 PM on 22 February 2018, a Sinhalese lorry driver from Ambala, Medamahanuwara was subjected to an assault by four Muslim youths in Karaliyadda, Teldeniya.^{[14][15][16][17]} The victim was admitted to the intensive care unit of the Kandy General Hospital and died on the night of 2 March from his injuries.^[17] The victim's assistant (also traveling in the lorry) was assaulted, admitted to hospital, and later discharged after treatment.^[18]

The motive behind the attack has not been clearly established, with some reports stating it stemmed from an auto accident where the trucker had damaged the wing mirror of an auto rickshaw the assailants had been travelling in while attempting to overtake it; all four suspects were reported to have been intoxicated.^[17] The suspects were arrested by the Sri Lanka Police on the day of the attack and remanded until 7 March.^[17]

Riots and violence

Ampara

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An angry mob had launched attacks on several shops in the surrounding area of Ampara.^[19][20] The mob also demolished an important book.^[21] Further, hotels which were located near to the moque were also attacked by the youngsters with the police finding it difficult to bring the situation under control.^[22] Thereafter, police reinforcements had been rushed from nearby police stations and the mob dispersed with the assistance of STF.^[23]

Kandy District

The first signs of violence were reported from Udispattuwa on the night of 2 March as the body of the victim was being taken to Ambala. Groups set light to tires on the road as a sign of protest against the killing; the police, anticipating violence, deployed 1000 Special Task Force personnel in and around the area, encompassing Moragahamula, Udispattuwa, Teldeniya and Ambagahalanda.^[18] Despite these efforts, two Muslim-owned shops in Moragahamula were subjected to arson on the night of 4 March- 28 suspects were arrested for their involvement.^[18][24] General disorderly behaviour and assorted violence associated to the killing by the residents of Teldeniya and outlying areas were also reported.^[25] The unrest spread to Digana on the morning of 5 March, when a large mob converged on the town, setting fire to a mosque, shops and houses. In response, police used tear gas and water cannons in an attempt to disperse the crowd, which saw retaliation from the mob through various projectiles while the violence spread to more residences, shops and nearby vehicles.^[16][18][25] Traffic along the A26 was forced to a halt, and by 3 PM, the police requested the support of the Sri Lanka Army, which deployed 200 troops from the Sinha Regiment base in Digana in the evening.^[16][18] The police then followed up by declaring a state of curfew district-wide in Kandy until 6 AM on the 6 March; the same curfew was reimposed on Teldeniya and Pallekele at 8 PM on 6 March, after the body of a 24 year old Muslim male was discovered within the remains of a shop in Digana.^{[26][18][27][28][29]} By the evening of 6 March, a total of 4 mosques, 37 houses, 46 shops and 35 vehicles were damaged or destroyed as a result of the riots in both Digana and other locations in the Kandy District; 1 confirmed fatality was reported.^[26]

On the night of 6 March, mobs were observed in Lewella and Balagolla, moving towards Tennekumbura and the general direction of Kandy- an arson attack on a mosque in Tennekumbura was reported.^[30] High ambulance activity was reported from Menikhinna, and 7 people were arrested there for disorderly behaviour and for causing unrest.^[29] The curfew put in place on the evening of 6 March was lifted briefly on the morning of the 7th, but soon reimposed.^[29] 7 March also saw Muslim residents of Mullegama barricading themselves inside a local mosque after a Sinhala mob attacked their homes alleging theft of a donation box from a nearby Buddhist temple; the Muslims accused the police of inaction in the face of the mobs.^[31] One Sinhala male was reported to have died and another injured in an explosion of unknown origin in the course of the Mullegama attacks- a reaction that a Buddhist monk at the Mullegama temple said was precipitated by a projectile attack against his temple by Muslims earlier in the day.^[31] Katugastota also saw anti-Muslim violence and arson, while a mob assembled in the Ambatanna town center after a rumor of a temple being attacked: the mob then proceeded to damage property and engage in rioting.^[32]

Response

Ampara

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Sri Lankan professionals debunked the existence of pills that can sterilize a person. Obstetricians and Gynaecologists denied that pills can cause permanent sterility and stressed the need of surgical procedures such as vasectomy on males and tubal ligation surgery on females to cause permanent sterility. Director General of Health Services Dr. Anil Jasinghe also released a statement denying the existence of a method to sterilize a person through pills. Lecturer at the Melaka Manipal Medical College in Malaysia, Sri Lankan Dr. Mohamed Najimudeen has even offered a prize of Rs. 1,000,000 to anyone who can prove sterilization medicines are being added to clothes or food in the country by various individuals. Further the health minister, Rajitha Senaratne also mentioned that there are no such medicines ever discovered to sterilize a male.^[10][33][34]

Sociologist and Senior Lecturer, Department of Sociology and Anthropology, University of Jayewardenepura, Dr. Praneeth Abeysundara and Professor of Sociology, University of Sri Jayawardenapura B.A. Tennyson Perera called for authorities and media to create awareness among the public and create dialogues among community leaders and clerics to counter such paranoia.^[10]

Kandy District

The Government urged calm on 5 March, while the Ministry of Education ordered the closure of schools in the Kandy District.^[25][35] It also imposed a State of Emergency (the first since 2011) over the country on 6 March for a period of 10 days, granting the state powers to arrest and detain suspects indefinitely, and deploy armed forces at its will.^[26][36] The CID was tasked with an investigation into the event and its background.^[37]

The police came under heavy criticism for its failure to impose order and its alleged hesitation in preventing property damage at the start of the riots.^[17] Several government and opposition MPs criticized the police and its decision-making, while others called for calm and harsh punishments to perpetrators of racially-motivated violence.^[17] A group of Sinhala Buddhist citizens and Buddhist clergy held a protest outside the Digana police station on 6 March demanding the release of all suspects arrested for their involvement in the riots.^[38]The government and the opposition party Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna alleged an organized, political effort to inflame sectarian tensions in Kandy.^[14][39] The Bodu Bala Sena, at the center of the 2014 riots, accused the public of unfairly linking it to incidents of communal violence in the country; BBS Secretary General Galagoda Aththe Gnanasara visited the assault victim's home on 4 March, and claimed he had urged residents of the area to remain calm.^[40]

In an effort to prevent mobs from organizing online through social media platforms, internet access to the Kandy District was restricted by order of the Telecommunications Regulatory Commission (TRC).^[41][42] Access to Facebook was blocked, and the Ministry of Defence instructed the TRC to report on individuals spreading hate speech on social media platforms.^[41] The Centre for Policy Alternatives, a think-tank based in Colombo, released a statement claiming videos containing "false information" that sought to incite sectarian violence were going viral online.^[43]

Domestic
Sri Lankan iconic cricketers including Kumar Sangakkara, Mahela Jayawardene and Sanath Jayasuriya have strongly condemned the situation and had requested the general public to join hands together inorder to make the country unite again.^[44]

International
Australia, Denmark, Norway, the United Kingdom and the United States issued travel advisories warning their citizens to remain vigilant, avoid large crowds and protests, and to follow instructions by local authorities.^[31][45]

• Turkey: The Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs released a statement that expressed concerns over the violence, saying "the Sri Lankan government will take the necessary steps to ensure that different religious and ethnic communities continue to live together in peace across the country."^[43] The ministry also offered condolences to the families of victims killed in the riots.^[43]

• United Nations: The UN condemned the attacks, calling for a quick resolution of the situation in a statement released on 7 March- "The United Nations urges authorities to take immediate action against perpetrators and to ensure that appropriate measures are swiftly taken to restore normalcy in affected areas".^[31] UN spokesperson Stephane Dujarric said, "We are obviously concerned over reports of the ongoing communal violence and we welcome the government's commitment to addressing the tensions and achieve reconciliation. We urge all Sri Lankans to resolve their difference through dialogue."^[46]

Other events

The opening match of the 2018 Nidahas Trophy, a Tri-Series cricket tournament between Sri Lanka and India was held under tight security coinciding with the tense situation in the nation following the declaration of the state of emergency.^[47][48][49]

See also

• 2018 in Sri Lanka
• List of riots in Sri Lanka

References

1. Jump up^ "Ampara tense following attack on shop and mosque – Colombo Gazette". colombogazette.com. Retrieved 2018-02-28.
2. Jump up^ "Ampara tense following attack on shop and mosque | The Sunday Leader". www.thesundayleader.lk. Retrieved 2018-02-28.
3. Jump up^ "Sri Lanka declares emergency to quell anti-Muslim riots". nation.com. The Nation. 7 March 2018. Retrieved 7 March 2018.
4. Jump up^ "Sri Lanka declares state of emergency after Buddhist-Muslim clash". Reuters. Retrieved 2018-03-07.
5. Jump up^ "Sri Lanka Declares State of Emergency After Mob Attacks on Muslims". Retrieved 2018-03-07.
6. Jump up^ Press, Associated (2018-03-07). "The Latest: Sri Lanka orders social media networks blocked". Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286. Retrieved 2018-03-07.
7. Jump up^ "Social media blocked: TRCSL". Retrieved 2018-03-07.
8. Jump up^ "Access restricted to certain social media: Minister - Daily Mirror - Sri Lanka Latest Breaking News and Headlines". b.marfeel.com. Retrieved 2018-03-07.
9. Jump up^ "Buddhists, Muslims clash in Sri Lanka - Khmer Times". Khmer Times. 2018-02-28. Retrieved 2018-02-28.
10. ^ Jump up to:^{a b c d} "Tension in Ampara after fake 'sterilization pills' controversy". Sunday Observer. 2018-03-03. Retrieved 2018-03-06.
11. Jump up^ "Anti-Muslim Assaults In Ampara: Police On Alert To Prevent Sinhala-Muslim Clashes". Colombo Telegraph. 2018-02-27. Retrieved 2018-02-28.
12. Jump up^ Lanka, Gamini Gunaratna, Sri Lanka News Paper by LankaPage.com (LLC)- Latest Hot News from Sri. "Sri Lanka : Muslim shops attacked in Buddhist-Muslim clash in Sri Lanka\'s East, security strengthened in Ampara". www.colombopage.com. Retrieved 2018-02-28.
13. Jump up^ "Mosque vandalized in Ampara". www.aljazeera.com. Retrieved 2018-02-28.
14. ^ Jump up to:^{a b} "Outside group has created violence: PM". dailymirror.lk. Daily Mirror. 6 March 2018. Retrieved 6 March 2018.
15. Jump up^ Thomas, Kavindya Chris (6 March 2018). "Following death of assault victim Violence erupts in Teldeniya Curfew in effect till 6 a.m." ceylontoday.lk. Ceylon Today. Retrieved 6 March 2018.
16. ^ Jump up to:^{a b c} Kuruwita, Rathindra; Wimalasurendra, Cyril (5 March 2018). "Troops deployed to quell violence". island.lk. The Island. Retrieved 6 March 2018.
17. ^ Jump up to:^{a b c d e f} "Muslims in Digana Closed Their Businesses and Stayed at Home on Police "Advice" But Sinhala Mobs Looted and Torched 27 Deserted Shops,;At Least One Mosque and Some Houses Also Damaged". DBS Jeyaraj. dbsjeyaraj.com. Retrieved 6 March2018.
18. ^ Jump up to:^{a b c d e f} Kuruluwansa, Asela; Imtiaz, Zahra (5 March 2018). "Curfew Declared in Kandy District: 200 Sinha Regiment Soldiers and 1000 Special Task Force Personnel Deployed as Police Fail to Control Anti-Muslim Violence". dbsjeyaraj.com. DBS Jeyaraj. Retrieved 6 March 2018.
19. Jump up^ "Tension in Ampara town". Retrieved 2018-02-28.
20. Jump up^ shanika. ", shops attacked in Ampara town". Retrieved 2018-02-28.
21. Jump up^ "Mosque Vandalized In Ampara". Malaysian Digest. Retrieved 2018-02-28.
22. Jump up^ "Shops, mosque damaged in Ampara | FT Online". www.ft.lk. Retrieved 2018-02-28.
23. Jump up^ "Sunday Times - Tense situation in Ampara brought under control". www.sundaytimes.lk. Retrieved 2018-02-28.
24. Jump up^ "Twenty four arrested for igniting Teldeniya shop". dailynews.lk. Daily News. 6 March 2018. Retrieved 6 March 2018.
25. ^ Jump up to:^{a b c} "Kandy Tense as Mob Spreads to Digana". Hiru News. Asia Broadcasting. 5 March 2018. Retrieved 6 March 2018.
26. ^ Jump up to:^{a b c} "Sri Lanka violence: State of emergency declared over attacks". bbc.com. BBC. 6 March 2018. Retrieved 6 March 2018.
27. Jump up^ "Police curfew declared in Kandy district". sundaytimes.lk. Sunday Times of Sri Lanka. 5 March 2018. Retrieved 6 March 2018.
28. Jump up^ "Curfew re-imposed in Teldeniya and Pallekele areas". colombogazette.com. Colombo Gazette. 6 March 2018. Retrieved 6 March 2018.
29. ^ Jump up to:^{a b c} Silva, Manushi (7 March 2018). "Police curfew in Kandy administrative district re-imposed". adaderana.lk. Ada Derana. Retrieved 7 March 2018.
30. Jump up^ "Anti-Muslim Assaults: Sinhalese Mobs Ignite Kandy For Second Night". colombotelegraph.com. Colombo Telegraph. 6 March 2018. Retrieved 7 March 2018.
31. ^ Jump up to:^{a b c d} "Sri Lanka blocks social media as anti-Muslim rioting flares". abcnews.com. ABC News. 7 March 2018. Retrieved 7 March 2018.
32. Jump up^ Safi, Michael; Perera, Amantha (7 March 2018). "Sri Lanka blocks social media as deadly violence continues". theguardian.com. The Guardian UK. Retrieved 7 March 2018.
33. Jump up^ "Truth relating to 'sterilization pills'". Hiru News. Retrieved 2018-03-06.
34. Jump up^ "Ampara situation has been under control". Dailynews.lk. Retrieved 2018-03-07.
35. Jump up^ "Curfew imposed in Sri Lanka hill capital after Sinhala - Muslim clashes flare". colombopage.com. ColomboPage. 5 March 2018. Retrieved 6 March 2018.
36. Jump up^ "Govt. to declare State of Emergency for 10 days". dailymirror.lk. Daily Mirror. 6 March 2018. Retrieved 6 March 2018.
37. Jump up^ "IGP dispatches CID team to Digana". adaderana.lk. Ada Derana. 6 March 2018. Retrieved 6 March 2018.
38. Jump up^ "Kandy riots: Buddhist community stages protest". afternoonvoice.com. Afternoon Voice. 6 March 2018. Retrieved 6 March 2018.
39. Jump up^ "JVP suspects violence in Kandy part of an organised plan". colombogazette.com. Colombo Gazette. Retrieved 6 March 2018.
40. Jump up^ "BBS says it is being unfairly accused of links to violence". thesundayleader.lk. The Sunday Leader. 6 March 2018. Retrieved 6 March 2018.
41. ^ Jump up to:^{a b} Ariff, Yusuf (7 March 2018). "TRC instructs to slow internet speeds in Kandy". adaderana.lk. Ada Derana. Retrieved 7 March 2018.
42. Jump up^ "Sri Lanka imposes curfew in riot-hit town, blocks social media". economynext.com. EconomyNext. Retrieved 7 March 2018.
43. ^ Jump up to:^{a b c} "Turkey voices concern over anti-Muslim rioting in Sri Lanka". Daily Sabah. Andalou Agency. 7 March 2018. Retrieved 7 March 2018.
44. Jump up^ "Stand together, be wise: Cricket legends request". Retrieved 2018-03-07.
45. Jump up^ "US, UK, Aus. issue travel advisories on SL". dailymirror.lk. Daily Mirror. 7 March 2018. Retrieved 7 March 2018.
46. Jump up^ "Senior UN official to visit Sri Lanka after anti-Muslim riots". france24.com. France24. 6 March 2018. Retrieved 7 March 2018.
47. Jump up^ "Nidahas Trophy to remain unaffected despite emergency in SL". Cricbuzz. Retrieved 7 March 2018.
48. Jump up^ "2018 Nidahas Trophy set to commence despite state of emergency in Sri Lanka". TimesNow. Retrieved 7 March 2018.
49. Jump up^ "Nidahas Trophy on track in Colombo despite Sri Lanka emergency - Times of India". The Times of India. Retrieved 7 March 2018.

Categories:

• 2018 in Sri Lanka
• 2018 riots
• Ethnic riots
• February 2018 crimes in Asia
• History of Ampara District
• History of Kandy District
• March 2018 crimes
• March 2018 events in Asia
• Opposition to Islam in Sri Lanka
• Persecution by Buddhists
• Religious riots
• Riots and civil disorder in Sri Lanka

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2018_anti-Muslim_riots_in_Sri_Lanka

Latest

Police in Sri Lanka have used tear gas to disperse Buddhist rioters in the city of Kandy, who have been attacking mosques and Muslim-owned businesses.

They are defying a curfew imposed after a Buddhist youth died during an altercation with a group of Muslims.

http://www.bbc.com/news/av/world-asia-43324316/buddhist-rioters-dispersed-in-sri-lanka

Latest

Image copyrightEPAImage captionScores of Muslim businesses are reported to have been targeted by Buddhist mobs - many set ablaze

The Sri Lankan government says more troops have been deployed to the central district of Kandy, to try to end days of violence against Muslims.

Police used tear gas to disperse Buddhist rioters who have attacked mosques and Muslim-owned businesses.

They are defying a curfew imposed after a Buddhist youth died during an altercation with a group of Muslims.

A state of emergency has been imposed and the curfew extended, and authorities are blocking social media.

The authorities had feared retaliation after a young Muslim man's body was found in a burnt-out building in Kandy on Tuesday.

Fresh clashes between mobs from the majority Sinhalese and minority Muslim communities erupted in several areas overnight, and a number of properties were set on fire.

On Wednesday, there were reports that a Sinhalese man had died when a hand grenade he was carrying went off in a Kandy district.

• State of emergency declared over attacks
• Sri Lanka profile

Police leave has been cancelled and "the army has been deployed in tens and thousands" in the scenic hilly area, said government spokesman Rajitha Senarathane.

President Maithripala Sirisena toured Kandy on Wednesday, saying he had "ordered that the full force of the law be used against troublemakers", reported AFP news agency.

Meanwhile, the influential former captain of the Sri Lankan cricket team, Kumar Sangakkara, called for the violence to stop and said there was "no place for racism or violence":

Skip Twitter post by @KumarSanga2

Kumar Sangakkara✔@KumarSanga2

No one in Sri Lanka can be marginalized or threatened or harmed due to their ethnicity or religion. We are One Country and One people. Love, trust and acceptance should be our common mantra. No place for racism and violence. STOP. Stand together and stand strong.

1:25 PM - Mar 7, 2018

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End of Twitter post by @KumarSanga2

Last week, the eastern town of Ampara also saw anti-Muslim violence over a dispute in a shop.

Tensions have been building in Buddhist-majority Sri Lanka since 2012, said to have been fuelled by hard-line Buddhists.

Under the state of emergency, the authorities are able to arrest and detain suspects for long periods, and deploy forces where needed.

It is the first time in seven years Sri Lanka has imposed the measure. The country was under a state of emergency for nearly three decades when the government fought Tamil rebels in the civil war that ended in 2009.

Image copyrightAFPImage captionPolice commandos are out in force in KandyImage copyrightREUTERSImage captionSocial media sites have been blocked - and in some of the affected area, the entire internet shut down

"Access to certain social media sites and messaging platforms will be restricted with immediate effect until further notice," said a statement from Sri Lanka's largest mobile phone provider Dialog.

A senior government minister told the BBC that Facebook, WhatsApp and other social platforms were being used to carry hate speech and misinformation aimed at inciting more violence.

Schools have been closed and a curfew extended until Thursday evening.

Foreign governments have urged their citizens to stay away from large crowds and protests, and warn that there could be more unrest.

The UN has urged that immediate action be taken against perpetrators of the violence.