Buddhist attacks on Muslims continue in Sri Lanka despite a state of emergency

Buddhist mobs are still sweeping through Muslim neighborhoods in Sri Lanka’s central hills, destroying stores and restaurants despite a curfew, a state of emergency and heavy deployment of security forces, residents said Thursday.

About 50 people broke into Mohamed Ramzeen’s small restaurant in the town of Pilimathalawa on Wednesday night while the curfew was in effect, destroying nearly everything they found.

“The security in town is inadequate,” Ramzeen said. “We fear for our lives.”

Others in the area around Kandy, the main hill town, have described similar attacks since the violence began early this week. The streets of most towns were all-but empty Thursday except for police and soldiers.

The government ordered a state of emergency Tuesday, and has shut down a handful of popular social media networks, saying they were being used to spread false rumors that led to mob attacks. Full story...

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