Emergency declared in Sri Lanka

The Sri Lankan government on Tuesday has decided to impose a state of emergency for 10 days to control law and order in the country, following the violence against the minority community in Kandy district over the last two days.

Sri Lankan Social Empowerment Minister S.B. Dissanayake said that the decision was taken in today’s cabinet meeting, chaired by Sri Lankan President Maithripala Sirisenaand a gazette in this regard will be issued later on Tuesday.

The decision comes after a curfew was reimposed on Monday in two police divisions of Kandy district till Wednesday morning following the tense situation.

Several houses and business establishments in the district, belonging to minority Muslim community, were burnt on Monday while the body of a young man was found inside a burnt house today.

The police have said that the special security arrangements put in place in the areas will continue and the Special Task Force (STF) has been deployed to maintain peace.

This is the second such incident over past couple of weeks after Ampara in Eastern Province witnessed similar attacks last month.