Foreign Office issues travel warning after Sri Lanka declares state of emergency
Sri Lanka has declared a state of emergency due to violent clashes between the Buddhist and Muslim communities.
The Foreign Office warned this may include curfews across the country and warned Britons to ‘exercise caution, avoid protests and rallies’.
A curfew is already in place in the central district of Kandy where crowds from the Buddhist Sinhala majority attacked a mosque, Muslim-owned shops and private houses.
The authorities fear retaliation after the body of a young Muslim man was found in a burned-out building yesterday, said the BBC.
Tensions rose after the death of a Buddhist man, who was said to have been beaten by some Muslims a week ago.
Last week, the eastern town of Ampara also saw anti-Muslim violence over a row that started in a shop.
A police curfew was declared in the tourist hotspot of Kandy, which is home to several of the island’s major tourist attractions including the Temple of the Tooth, on Monday to prevent more sectarian clashes after the attacks carried out by a large Sinhala mob.
It was briefly lifted yesterday, but quickly re-instated after the body of a 24-year-old Muslim man was found in the town of Digana.
"Four mosques, 37 houses, 46 shops and 35 vehicles damaged in Digana and Teldeniya area due to the mob attack," a local official told the BBC.
"Everything is destroyed. Muslims live in fear," he said.
Linsey McNeill
Editor Linsey McNeill has been writing about travel for more than three decades. Bylines include The Times, Telegraph, Observer, Guardian and Which? plus the South China Morning Post. She also shares insider tips on thetraveljournalist.co.uk
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