Emergency in Sri Lanka

Why in news?

• Sri Lanka declared an island-wide state of emergency.
• This was to curb growing anti-Muslim violence in the country’s Central Province.

What is the situation in Sri Lanka?

• The violence, according to police sources, was triggered by the death of a 41-year-old man.
• He succumbed to injuries inflicted by a group of Muslim men, following a road rage incident.
• The suspects were arrested immediately after the incident and remanded.
• However, the incident triggered a series of anti-Muslim attacks.
• The violence is provoked reportedly by Sinhala-Buddhist extremist group.
• A series of arson attacks targeted dozens of mosques and Muslim-owned shops and homes in Kandy, located in the Central Province.
• Two mosques and shops were vandalised in Ampara.
• Ampara is a district with a near equal population of Muslims and Sinhala-Buddhists.

Why was Emergency declared?

• There were concerns of mishandling of the whole situation.
• The police and the Special Task Force were accused of a delayed and inadequate response.
• The Sri Lankan government was criticised for “pandering to extremist forces” in the Sinhala majority community.
• The move to declare emergency is seen as a “confidence-building measure”.
• The emergency allows the government to deploy the army in case of any violent clashes.
• Procedurally, the emergency will lapse in two weeks unless the parliament votes to extend it.

What is the significance?

• This is the first time that emergency had been reimposed after it was in force for 40 years from 1971 during the civil war.
• The latest unrest underlines the new political and ethnic dynamics in Sri Lanka.

Source: The Hindu