Tag: Colombo

176 children lost one or both parents in Sri Lanka Easter bombings

August 12, 2019 Sri Lanka Bombing, Catholics, Children, Colombo, Minorities, Negombo, Sri Lanka

Woman kneels at altar at St Anthony's shrine, Colombo where 54 died on Easter Sunday, 2019

At least 176 children lost either one or both of their parents in the Sri Lanka Easter Sunday bombings, according to the Archbishop of Colombo, Cardinal Malcolm Ranjith. Just over three months ago, at St. Anthony’s Shrine in the country’s capital saw a powerful explosion rip apart the bodies of . . . Read More

Sri Lanka: Facebook told to block religious hate speech

April 19, 2018 Sri Lanka Buddhist nationalism, Censorship, Colombo, Education, Minorities, Sri Lanka, Youth

A young girl in Colombo looks at her mobile phone while Sri Lanka's civil society has called on Facebook to block hate speech. (Photo: World Watch Monitor)

Civil society groups in Sri Lanka have asked Facebook to do more to prevent hate speech, including comments that discriminate on religious lines, following recent anti-Muslim riots. “There was a post in the Sinhala [Sri Lanka’s largest ethnic group] language on Facebook for six days, which mentioned ‘killing all Muslims, . . . Read More

Lawyer ordered to apologise or be barred from work after highlighting Sri Lanka’s intolerance

June 29, 2017 Sri Lanka Colombo, Lakshan Dias, Maithripala Sirisena, Protestants

The Sri Lankan government is facing criticism from human rights groups after ordering a lawyer to apologise and offer a retraction for comments he made in a TV interview, when he highlighted growing religious intolerance in the country. During the interview on 14 June, Lakshan Dias referenced a recent report . . . Read More

Give all religions a voice, Pope urges Sri Lanka

January 14, 2015 Sri Lanka Buddhist nationalism, Catholics, Colombo, Maithripala Sirisena, Pope Francis, Sri Lanka

Religious freedom must be central to Sri Lanka’s future, Pope Francis urges on his arrival in the capital, Colombo. In his arrival speech at Colombo’s airport, he said that followers of various religious traditions “have an essential role to play” in the process of the country’s reconciliation and rebuilding, adding: “For that process . . . Read More

Sri Lanka’s Christians protest after January attacks

January 28, 2014 Sri Lanka Anti-conversion law, Buddhist nationalism, Colombo, Protestants

More than 2,000 Christians gathered in Colombo on Sunday (January 26) to protest against a perceived lack of religious freedom in Sri Lanka, following recent attacks on Christian places of worship by Buddhist extremists. Two churches and a Christian prayer centre were attacked on Jan. 12 by Buddhist mobs claiming . . . Read More

All eyes on Sri Lanka as Commonwealth summit begins

November 15, 2013 Sri Lanka Anti-conversion law, Bodu Bala Sena, Buddhist nationalism, Colombo, Commonwealth, Human rights

Sri Lanka’s human rights record has been questioned as a Commonwealth summit takes place in Colombo. Several Commonwealth leaders have boycotted the event, while British Prime Minister David Cameron has pledged to ask “tough questions” of Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa. One of his lines of questioning may focus on . . . Read More

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