15 Dec 2019

Sri Lanka -The New Climate of Fear (BBC)

From Insight, 8:10 am on 15 December 2019
Sri Lankan military officers stand guard in front of the St Anthony's Church where an explosion took place in Kochchikade, Colombo, Sri Lanka.

Sri Lankan military officers stand guard in front of the St Anthony's Church where an explosion took place in Kochchikade, Colombo, Sri Lanka. Photo: AFP

There's a new climate of fear in Sri Lanka. This time it's the Muslim community who are fearful of the future. The Easter bomb attacks in Sri Lanka - targeting churches and international hotels - horrified the island. But the attacks also intensified a creeping campaign by members of the Sinhala Buddhist majority against the Muslim community - with Muslims murdered, their businesses burned or boycotted. The BBC's Jill McGivering investigates the growing climate of fear now driving many Muslims to leave and casting a shadow over those left behind.

Sri Lanka: The new climate of fear