COLOMBO – Vandals attacked a Muslim-owned restaurant in Sri Lanka on Sundayin an alleged “hate crime”, police said, as tensions remain high across theisland following a week of violent riots.
The restaurant in Anamaduwa ─ 130 kilometres (81 miles) north of thecapital Colombo ─ was targeted despite police being on high alert after aspate of anti-Muslim attacks.
The government declared a state of emergency last week as 11 mosques weretorched and 200 Muslim-owned businesses destroyed in riots by Sinhalesemobs that left at least three people dead and around 20 wounded.
A curfew was lifted in the central district of Kandy, the epicentre of theviolence, but soldiers remained on the streets, equipped with emergencypowers to detain people to maintain law and order.
Some social media networks including Facebook remain blocked across SriLanka. Officials say this was done to prevent the spread of hate speechagainst Muslims.
A senior police official said disciplinary action would be taken againstofficers in the Anamaduwa area for failing to prevent the restaurant attack.
“We are treating this as a hate crime. An investigation is on to identifythose responsible,” he told *AFP* on condition of anonymity.
President Maithripala Sirisena announced on Saturday that he will appoint athree-member panel of retired judges to investigate the unrest that drewconcern from rights groups and the international community.
Police were deployed to mosques across Sri Lanka on Friday to guardworshippers from the island’s minority Muslim community during weeklyprayers. – Agencies