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**By APD writer Jamila Husain **
**COLOMBO, June 12 (APD) ** - Sri Lankan police, on Monday, arrested five people for instigating religious violence especially against minority Muslims.
The police said those arrested included a member of a hardline Buddhist organization and a Muslim man for defaming Buddhism.
Sri Lanka has seen a rise in hate crimes in recent months with more than 20 attacks recorded against Muslims since April 17.
This includes arson at Muslim-owned businesses and petrol-bomb attacks on mosques.
Muslims, who account for around 9 percent of Sri Lankas population of 21 million, have blamed the attacks on a radical Buddhist organisation, the Bodu Bala Sena (BBS) or the "Buddhist Power Force" for carrying out the attacks. The BBS however has denied any involvement.
"The police was able to arrest a 32-year-old person who is directly related to four (arson) attacks, Police Spokesman Priyantha Jayakody told reporters over the weekend adding that all four businesses were owned by Muslims.
"This person has direct links with Bodu Bala Sena organization. Since 2014, he has been associating with the Bodu Bala Sena," the Police Spokesperson added.
Jayakody also said the police had arrested four more people including a Muslim who posted a Facebook post against Buddhism and a Tamil national who attacked a mosque.
Sri Lanka's President Maithripala Sirisena recently ordered his Law and Order Minister to thoroughly probe incidents related to racism in the island country and take stern action against those involved.
Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe had also said that if such attacks continue, then the area police officers would be held responsible. The government will not tolerate any acts of racism, the Prime Minister had stressed during a cabinet meeting.
The Heads of Mission of the European Union, Australia, Canada, the Netherlands, Norway, South Africa and Switzerland, also last week strongly condemned incidents of hate crimes in Sri Lanka and called for prompt action to be taken against the perpetrators.
The ambassadors expressed their solidarity and welcomed the clear condemnation for these hate crimes from Sri Lanka's President Maithripala Sirisena and Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe.
They emphasised the importance of the rule of law and called for prompt action to ensure that the perpetrators of these crimes were swiftly brought to justice.
In 2014, three Muslims were killed in riots stirred up hardline Buddhist groups. Churches also have faced similar attacks in the past.
(ASIA PACIFIC DAILY)
