Sri Lanka is one country that is not new to tensions.
Before the Easter Sunday, Sri Lanka was largely peaceful in the last decade, but not completely void of religious tensions that continued to haunt the island country.
With a population of 22.4 million people, Sri Lanka has risen to become a country with bits of religious intolerance, with the Buddhist majority (70%) being at the centre of attention pitting them against the Muslim Tamils.
The Muslims and Christians in Sri Lanka account for less than 20% combined. They are 9.7% and 7.4% respectively.
In the period between the years 1983 and 2009, a protracted battle between the Tamil north and the government ensued after Tamil Tiger Fighters threatened the Asian country.
An all-out offensive would later be launched with a bid to flush out the rebel fighters from the North of Sri Lanka.
In a report on the War by the UN, at least 70,000 people were killed during the clashes between the Tamil Muslim rebel fighters and the Government.
2018, Sri Lanka’s President Maithripala Sirisena attempted to kick out his Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe from office, and replace him with a former President who led the 25-year-long battle that killed thousands of people.
Sri Lanka’s parliament would later pass a vote of no confidence in the former President, prompting the Supreme Court to declare the sacking of Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe as “null and void.”
Last year March, Sri Lanka imposed a State of Emergency after Buddhists and Muslims clashed in the central city of Kandy.
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The violence is reported to have been triggered by the death of a Sinhalese Buddhist youth who was tortured and killed by the Muslims in Kandy.
The Buddhists would later launch scathing attacks on the businesses and houses of the Muslims in the town, torching and beating up locals.
Since the start of a Buddhist Nationalist group Bodu Bala Sena (BBS) in 2012, a spate of clashes have intensified, with the Buddhists banning halal certification, and claiming the Muslims are militant.
In 2014, three Muslims were killed in the confrontations with the Buddhists in the town of Aluthgama.
A Monday Press conference by Harin Fernando blamed the Government over inaction on intelligence that would have led to the prevention of the carnage witnessed on Easter Monday.
blamed the Government over inaction on intelligence that would have led to prevention of the carnage witnessed on Easter Monday.
Fernando (Minister for tele-Communications) said:
“Sri Lanka had a coup (that lasted) about 51 days … and from there on there has been lapses and certain infighting within the government.”
“Being brutally honest, I did not see the government working together. Will this be one of the causes? I am saying, without being a politician, that yes, it could be that’s what actually happened and that’s one of the outcomes of this,” he added.