Sri Lanka: Information on incidents of violence between Muslims and Singhalese in Beruwela on 5 April 2002, including the number of fatalities, the time the incidents took place and information on arrests, charges, and detentions
| Publisher | Canada: Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada |
| Author | Research Directorate, Immigration and Refugee Board, Ottawa |
| Publication Date | 29 August 2003 |
| Citation / Document Symbol | LKA41909.E |
| Cite as | Canada: Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada, Sri Lanka: Information on incidents of violence between Muslims and Singhalese in Beruwela on 5 April 2002, including the number of fatalities, the time the incidents took place and information on arrests, charges, and detentions, 29 August 2003, LKA41909.E, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/485ba87b28.html [accessed 3 November 2019] |
| Disclaimer | This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. |
Violence erupted between Muslims and Singhalese in the predominantly Muslim, southern town of Beruwela on 5 April 2002 (AP 5 Apr. 2002; AFP 5 Apr. 2002; TamilNet 5 Apr. 2002). According to an Associated Press report,
the violence broke out after a group of Muslims, coming out of Friday's prayers, noticed a group of Singhalese men trying to erect fences around a piece of land near an ancient mosque. The Muslims protested, triggering the violence (5 Apr. 2002).
The incident escalated into a riot (TamilNet 5 Apr. 2002) after the groups assaulted one another with knives and stones (AP 5 Apr. 2002). Local businesses were damaged (ibid.) and homes and buildings were "torched by marauding mobs" (TamilNet 5 Apr. 2002).
At approximately three o'clock in the afternoon, police opened fire on the crowds killing "at least two Muslim youth" and wounding several others (ibid.). Agence France Presse also reported that "two people were killed in a shooting incident involving police" (5 Apr. 2002), while the Associated Press (5 Apr. 2002) stated that the Muslim-Singhalese conflict "left one dead and 22 injured" (5 Apr. 2002). A curfew was set after the incident and "elite police units" were deployed to monitor the town (AFP 5 Apr. 2002; see also AP 5 Apr. 2002).
No information on arrests, charges or detentions of those involved in the incident was found among the sources consulted by the Research Directorate.
This Response was prepared after researching publicly accessible information currently available to the Research Directorate within time constraints. This Response is not, and does not purport to be, conclusive as to the merit of any particular claim to refugee status or asylum. Please find below the list of additional sources consulted in researching this Information Request.
References
Agence France Presse (AFP). 5 April 2002. "Curfew in Sri Lanka Town as Two Die in Police Shooting." (Dialog)
Associated Press (AP). 5 April 2002. "Mulsims, Sinhalese Clash in Sri Lanka, Curfew Imposed." (NEXIS)
TamilNet. 5 April 2002. "Curfew Clamped on Muslim Town, Two Killed."
Additional Sources Consulted
Dialog
IRB Databases
Internet sites, including:
Amnesty International
BBC
Colombo Review
Daily News
Forum for Human Dignity
Human Rights Watch
The Island
South Asian Human Rights Documentation Centre
Spotlight on Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka WWW Virtual Library
