Tires are set on fire on a road in Kandy, Central Sri Lanka, on March 5, 2018. Sri Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena declared a 10 day nationwide state of emergency and urged for calmness and peace after violence spread across the Kandy district triggered by days of communal tension. (Xinhua)
COLOMBO, March 6 (Xinhua) -- Sri Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena on Tuesday decided to declare a 10-day state of emergency following clashes in Kandy in central Sri Lanka.
Minister of National Dialogue, Mano Ganeshan told Xinhua the decision had been taken following a special cabinet meeting held on Tuesday morning.
Ganeshan said the State of Emergency will give the president power to deploy the armed forces across the country.
Sri Lankan Police on Tuesday re-imposed a curfew in parts of Kandy after violent mobs took to the streets on Monday burning houses and businesses in the latest spate of racial violence to hit the island country.
The Sri Lankan government in a statement strongly condemned the violence in Kandy and warned to take stern action against those inciting racism.
The government also condemned the hate and mischievous misinformation campaigns carried out on social media, with the clear objective of creating disharmony among communities and inciting violence.
"The Government urges every citizen of Sri Lanka to desist from falling prey to such hate and misinformation campaigns. As a country that had suffered by acts of violence for nearly three decades, we as a nation should desist from repetition of such," Director General of Government Information Department, Sudarshana Gunawardhana said.
Violence erupted in Kandy on Monday when mobs clashed on the streets causing severe unrest and leading to shops and homes being burnt and damaged.
