Police lined the streets of the Sri Lankan highland town of Kandy on Sunday and ...
KANDY, Sri Lanka - Police lined the streets of the Sri Lankan highland town of Kandy on Sunday and the army was on standby as hardline Buddhist monks gathered for their first big assembly since Easter attacks by Islamist militants on churches and luxury hotels.
The group said the gathering will decide who to back in the presidential elections later this year in the Indian Ocean island nation where Buddhists make up about 70% of the population. The rest include ethnic Tamils, who are mostly Hindus, and Muslims. “Today, the Sinhala ethnicity, which has developed this country historically, has become very weak...There is no leader who holds responsibility for Sinhalese,” he said adding some people were trying to sabotage the convention by spreading fears of possible riots.
There has been increasing anti-Muslim violence in the country in recent weeks, blamed in part on Buddhist groups, in apparent reprisal for the April bombings claimed by Islamic State that killed more than 250 people. M.J.M. Faizal, a Muslim who set up the Expo Leather store in Kandy 20 years ago, said late on Saturday he never had a problem with his neighbors even if they belonged to different communities.
South Africa Latest News, South Africa Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Cricket: Mathews hundred helps Sri Lanka to 264-7 against IndiaAngelo Mathews scored his first century of this year's Cricket World Cup to...
Read more »
Cricket: Sharma hits record fifth World Cup ton as India humble Sri LankaRohit Sharma becomes the first batsman to hit five hundreds in a single ICC Cricket World Cup as India cruise to a seven-wicket victory over Sri Lanka in their final group match at Headingley.
Read more »
Cricket: Plane towing 'Justice for Kashmir' banner flies over UK stadiumBanners reading 'Justice for Kashmir' and 'India stop genocide & free Kashmir' were flown over Headingley during India-Sri Lanka match, in second such World Cup incident.
Read more »
HRW: Sri Lankan government fails to protect its MuslimsThe tiny island nation's Muslim minority continues to face discrimination since the deadly bombings in April.
Read more »
Cricket: Sharma hits record fifth World Cup ton as India humble Sri LankaRohit Sharma becomes the first batsman to hit five hundreds in a single ICC Cricket World Cup as India cruise to a seven-wicket victory over Sri Lanka in their final group match at Headingley.
Read more »
Cricket: Mathews hundred helps Sri Lanka to 264-7 against IndiaAngelo Mathews scored his first century of this year's Cricket World Cup to...
Read more »