Featured image courtesy Dinuka Liyanawatta/Reuters
From March 5 onwards, there has been unrest in the Kandy district, originating in Digana. What began as a personal altercation eventually spiraled into violence, with Buddhist mobs attacking Muslim-owned properties, homes and places of worship. In the span of less than a week, a national State of Emergency was declared. Social media platforms Facebook, WhatsApp and Instagram were blocked by the Telecommunications Regulatory Commission (TRC). Meanwhile, the situation on the ground was extremely volatile for at least two days, particularly with mobs carrying out attacks even after curfew was declared.
Throughout this time, Groundviews compiled a series of regular situation updates, with background from trusted and reliable sources. These were sent out on social media to ensure the public was kept informed about the evolving situation in Kandy and surrounding areas.
For posterity, we are linking the situation updates below. We will keep updating this post regularly as the situation evolves.