COLOMBO: Sri Lanka’s police arrested three Buddhist monks yesterday over the destruction of a Muslim-owned clothing store that heightened religious tensions in the country, an official said.
Police Superintendent Buddhika Siriwardena said the monks were detained four days after a mob of Sinhalese-Buddhist men vandalised and torched a section of the three-storey building in the Pepiliyana suburb of Colombo.
“Three monks were arrested after they surrendered today. They will be taken before a magistrate tomorrow. We are looking for more suspects.”
The monks were among 17 held in connection with Thursday’s attack which the main Muslim party in the ruling coalition said was a “sequel” to an ongoing hate campaign against Muslims and other religious minorities.
TV footage, some of which is posted on the YouTube website, showed a Buddhist monk bringing down a CCTV camera in front of a cheering mob outside the Fashion Bug store, watched by at least four policemen. Another monk is seen threatening a news cameraman who was attacked by the mob and taken to hospital.
The newly-formed monk-led Bodu Bala Sena, or Buddhist Force, denied any involvement and urged the government to bring the culprits to justice and clear the group’s name. Agencies
