Sri Lanka arrests Buddhist monk for threatening Rohingya refugees

By APD Writer Easwaran

**COLOMBO, Oct. 2 (APD) -- **Sri Lanka on Monday arrested a Buddhist monk for threatening a group of Rohingya refugees.

The venerable Akmeemana Dayarathana Thera was arrested by the Colombo Crimes Division (CCD) over the incident last week involving Rohingya refugees.

The police said that the monk was arrested after being questioned by the CCD.

Last week several monks led a mob and surrounded a house just outside the capital Colombo where the Rohingya refugees were staying.

The monks, including the venerable Akmeemana Dayarathana Thera then entered the house with the police and live streamed the police taking the refugeesout.

Some monks were heard threatening the refugees telling them to go back to Myanmar and also accusing the police of eating from the hands of the Muslimrefugees and protecting them.

The refugees were taken from the house and placed under protective custody.

The government had later condemned the incident and ordered an investigation.

(ASIA PACIFIC DAILY)