Sri Lanka concerned over threats to Rohingya refugees by local monks

By APD Writer Easwaran

** COLOMBO, Sept. 27 (APD)** -- The Sri Lankan government on Wednesday slammed the actions of a group of monks and the Police over threats to Rohingya refugees at a safe house just outside the capital.

Cabinet spokesman Dr. Rajitha Senaratne said that the behavior of the monks was unacceptable.

Senaratne said the monks behaved in a manner which disrespected Buddhism.

He also questioned the police for allowing the monks to threaten the refugees while police officers looked on.

Dr. Rajitha Senaratne said that cabinet will discuss the incident and look at how such incidents must be addressed in future.

Monks from a group calling itself the Sinhale Jathika Balamuluwa led a mob and surrounded a house in Mount Lavinia, just outside Colombo where the Rohingya refugees were staying.

The monks then entered the house with the police and live streamed the police taking the refugees out.

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 Muslim refugees and protecting them.

The refugees were taken from the house and placed under protective custody at the Mount Lavinia police station and from there they were taken to another detention centre.

Dr. Rajitha Senaratne said that Rohingya refugees have been in Sri Lanka since 2008 and yet monks were protesting only now.

(ASIA PACIFIC DAILY)