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Sri Lanka crowd attacks Muslim warehouse in Colombo | Sri Lanka crowd attacks Muslim warehouse in Colombo |
(about 5 hours later) | |
Several people have been injured in Sri Lanka's capital, Colombo, when Buddhist monks led hundreds in an assault on a Muslim-owned clothing warehouse. | Several people have been injured in Sri Lanka's capital, Colombo, when Buddhist monks led hundreds in an assault on a Muslim-owned clothing warehouse. |
Buddhist monks were filmed throwing stones at the storage centre of popular garment chain Fashion Bug in a suburb of the capital on Thursday night. | Buddhist monks were filmed throwing stones at the storage centre of popular garment chain Fashion Bug in a suburb of the capital on Thursday night. |
Police told AFP news agency that forces had been deployed to guard the area. | Police told AFP news agency that forces had been deployed to guard the area. |
The attack comes as hard-line Buddhist groups step up a campaign against the lifestyles of Muslims. | The attack comes as hard-line Buddhist groups step up a campaign against the lifestyles of Muslims. |
The government's Minister for Justice Rauff Hakeem, himself a Muslim, urged the prime minister to call an urgent cabinet meeting to discuss the security of Muslims following these attacks. | |
These developments come four years after the army in the mainly Sinhalese Buddhist country defeated Tamil separatists. | |
During Sri Lanka's bitter civil war the Muslims - a small Tamil-speaking minority, about 9% of the population - kept a low profile, but many now fear that ethnic majority hard-liners are trying to target them. | During Sri Lanka's bitter civil war the Muslims - a small Tamil-speaking minority, about 9% of the population - kept a low profile, but many now fear that ethnic majority hard-liners are trying to target them. |
The BBC's Charles Haviland in Colombo said the monks led a crowd which quickly swelled to about 500, yelling insults against the shop's Muslim owners and rounding on journalists seeking to cover the events. | The BBC's Charles Haviland in Colombo said the monks led a crowd which quickly swelled to about 500, yelling insults against the shop's Muslim owners and rounding on journalists seeking to cover the events. |
Five or six were injured, including a cameraman who needed stitches. | Five or six were injured, including a cameraman who needed stitches. |
Eyewitnesses said the police stood and watched although after the trouble spread they brought it under control. | Eyewitnesses said the police stood and watched although after the trouble spread they brought it under control. |
"We have deployed extra units of STR (Special Task Force commandos) and police to guard the area," police spokesman Buddhika Siriwardena told the Agence France-Presse news agency. | "We have deployed extra units of STR (Special Task Force commandos) and police to guard the area," police spokesman Buddhika Siriwardena told the Agence France-Presse news agency. |
"The situation was brought under control within a few hours," he said, adding that no arrests had been made. | "The situation was brought under control within a few hours," he said, adding that no arrests had been made. |
Television footage showed broken glass and clothing from the warehouse strewn in the street. | Television footage showed broken glass and clothing from the warehouse strewn in the street. |
Hard-line Buddhist groups led by monks also sent around a text this week urging people to boycott Muslim shops when stocking up for the forthcoming Sri Lankan New Year festival. | Hard-line Buddhist groups led by monks also sent around a text this week urging people to boycott Muslim shops when stocking up for the forthcoming Sri Lankan New Year festival. |
After some Muslim groups called a strike in protest against a growing Buddhist campaign against their lifestyle, including halal food classification, a hard-line Buddhist party in the governing coalition issued a statement saying: "Sinhalese Buddhists should be determined to teach such Muslim extremists a lesson that they will never forget". | After some Muslim groups called a strike in protest against a growing Buddhist campaign against their lifestyle, including halal food classification, a hard-line Buddhist party in the governing coalition issued a statement saying: "Sinhalese Buddhists should be determined to teach such Muslim extremists a lesson that they will never forget". |
The assault comes a day after police set up a hot-line to tackle complaints about anyone "inciting religious or racial hatred hatred". | The assault comes a day after police set up a hot-line to tackle complaints about anyone "inciting religious or racial hatred hatred". |
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