A 21-year-old man has been remanded after being arrested over social media accounts that allegedly used Muslim names to threaten attacks on Buddhist religious sites, Public Security Minister Ananda Wijepala told Parliament.
The minister said the threats named the Temple of the Sacred Tooth Relic, Thuparamaya, Sri Maha Bodhi and Dambulla Temple, among other religious locations. Five complaints were received about the messages, and investigators began examining the social media groups that circulated them.
The suspect, a resident of Ibbagamuwa, was arrested and produced before the Colombo Chief Magistrate’s Court, which ordered his remand. According to the minister, investigations indicate that the man allegedly created fake accounts under Muslim identities and used them to spread the threatening messages.
Wijepala said police intelligence and investigative units are continuing their inquiries. He said authorities would take legal action against anyone spreading racial or religious hatred, regardless of their ethnicity or religion.
Background
The sites named in the messages are among the best-known Buddhist places of worship in the country. The Temple of the Sacred Tooth Relic is in Kandy, Thuparamaya and Sri Maha Bodhi are in the ancient city of Anuradhapura, and the Dambulla Temple is in the Matale District. All draw large numbers of pilgrims and visitors, including Sri Lankans living abroad who return for religious observances.
Ibbagamuwa is in the Kurunegala District of the North Western Province. The Chief Magistrate’s Court in Colombo hears matters brought by police units in the capital, and a remand order means a suspect is held in custody until the next hearing, when the court considers further reports from investigators.
Sri Lankan law contains provisions on advocating racial or religious hatred, including under the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) Act. A person arrested in connection with an offence is presumed innocent until a court finds otherwise, and the allegations against the suspect have yet to be tested in court.
What it means
For readers, the case shows how messages posted on social media under assumed identities can be traced by police and brought before a court. The minister’s account is that the accounts used Muslim names, which means the content of the messages may not reflect the views of the community whose names were used.
Wijepala’s statement that action would be taken against those spreading hatred of any ethnicity or religion indicates that the same approach would apply to similar messages from any source. Members of the public who receive threatening or hateful messages online can report them to the police, as the five complainants in this case did.
