Notwithstanding the local and international pressure, violations of the right to freedom of religion and attacks on religious minorities continued unabated in Sri Lanka. In the month ofJune, Sri Lanka witnessed the largest anti-Muslim riots seen in the country after 1914. Led by the Buddhist extremist organization Bodu Bala Sena (BBS), mobs rioted in the Southern costal townsof Aluthgama and Beruwala. The riot was preplanned and was a result of the gradual escalation of anti-Muslim violence unleashed by Buddhist extremist forces in post-war Sri Lanka. Attacksagainst and restrictions imposed on the Christian groups have become a regular occurrence, too. Hindus are not spared either. The involvement of the state, its officials and its security apparatus in these discriminatory practices are quite disturbing.The convergence of political power, extremist Buddhists’ violence and security agencies in pressuring religious minorities and imposing Sinhala Buddhist hegemony have become permanent features of post-war Sri Lanka.
Read the full report as a PDF:SLB Fact Sheet 2 Sep 2014 re attacks on religious minorities