The Government of Sri Lanka declared a state of emergency for 10 days to control law and order, 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 Sirisena and 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.
The police have said that the special security arragnments put in place in the areas will continue and the Special Task Force (STF) has been deployed to maintain peace.
The government sent troops and elite police to Kandy after a mob set fire to a Muslim-owned shop, imposing a curfew there on Monday to prevent clashes between majority Sinhalese Buddhists and minority Muslims.
The body of a Muslim man was pulled from the ashes of the burnt building Tuesday, police said.
This is the second such incident over past couple of weeks after Ampara in Eastern Province witnessed similar attacks last month.