A temporary state of emergency has been declared in Sri Lanka in order to take 'stern action' against communal violence in the country, a government spokesperson said today. Emergency has been in imposed in Sri Lanka for 10 days as a precautionary measure. The announcement today came a day after Buddhists and Muslims clashed in the island nation's central district of Kandy. Tension has been growing between the two communities in Sri Lanka over the past year, with some hardline Buddhist groups accusing Muslims of forcing people to convert to Islam and vandalising Buddhist archaeological sites. Some Buddhist nationalist have also protested against the presence in Sri Lanka of Muslim Rohingya asylum-seekers from mostly Buddhist Myanmar, where Buddhist nationalism has also been on the rise.

A temporary state of emergency has been declared in Sri Lanka in order to take 'stern action' against communal violence in the country, a government spokesperson said today. Emergency has been in imposed in Sri Lanka for 10 days as a precautionary measure. The announcement today came a day after Buddhists and Muslims clashed in the island nation's central district of Kandy. Tension has been growing between the two communities in Sri Lanka over the past year, with some hardline Buddhist groups accusing Muslims of forcing people to convert to Islam and vandalising Buddhist archaeological sites. Some Buddhist nationalist have also protested against the presence in Sri Lanka of Muslim Rohingya asylum-seekers from mostly Buddhist Myanmar, where Buddhist nationalism has also been on the rise.