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In Pictures: Sri Lanka hit by religious riots

Military called in to restore order as two days of rioting and looting have led to four deaths in coastal towns.

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Muslim homes were broken in to by the mobs in the middle of the night. Many families now seek the security of the neighbours, no longer trusting that the police will provide them with the necessary protection.
By Dinouk Colombage
Published On 18 Jun 2014

Aluthgama, Sri Lanka – Riots by Sinhala Buddhist mobs targeting the Muslim population have swept through Sri Lanka‘s southern coastal towns of Beruwala and Aluthgama.

An alleged assault by a Muslim youth on a Buddhist monk on Thursday resulted in the Sinhala Buddhist nationalist group, the Bodu Bala Sena (BBS), demonstrating against the Muslim population of Aluthgama on Sunday.

In two days of rioting and looting four people have been killed, including a Tamil security guard, and 80 others injured, the majority being from the Muslim community. Over 60 homes and businesses were set on fire in the two days while several mosques were also damaged.

The police were unable to control the mobs who numbered in the thousands, according to eyewitness reports. Eventually the military was called in to restore order.

The towns, which were once tourist attractions, are now under the blanket of a military curfew with many Muslim residents fearing to return to their homes. Sinhala Buddhist families in the area have taken to marking their homes with the Buddhist flag in an attempt to ensure they are not caught up in attacks. 

Follow Dinouk Colombage on Twitter: @dinoukc

The destruction of property has many Muslim residents accusing the security forces of failing to intervene on their behalf.
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Response time by the authorities has been described by many eyewitnesses as poor with many Muslim shops left to burn through the night.
Businesses that served all communities in the town were not spared by the mobs who blamed the Muslims of taking away jobs from the Sinhalese.
Dozens of shops and business establishment have been destroyed, leaving traders fearing for their financial future.
Businesses that served all communities in the town were not spared by the mobs who blamed the Muslims of taking away jobs from the Sinhalese.
Two days of violence has left more than 80 civilians injured. The emergency services could not reach those who had been hurt until the mobs vacated the streets.
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The inability of the police to control the mobs resulted in the government dispatching the army. Many mosques in the towns of Aluthgama and Beruwala were targeted by the Sinhala Buddhist mobs, who claimed they were encouraging Muslim conservative groups.
Despite a military imposed curfew in the town of Aluthgama, crowds supporting the Bodu Bala Sena continued to line the streets accusing the armed forces of protecting Muslims.
As mobs continued to attack the Muslim populace, members of the Special Task Force secured the entrances and exits to the town of Aluthgama.
Police were often outnumbers by the mobs and were forced to retreat as mobs descended on Muslim settlements.
Soldiers have been patrolling the area after the violence.
After two days of intense rioting which resulted in the deaths of four people, members of the Special Task Force were given orders to remove all mobs from the towns of Aluthgama and Beruwala.