Religious Minorities Face Violence Amid Sri Lanka’s Political Tensions

5 min read

Last updated: 4 June 2026

Photo: Stepping Inside - Dennis Sylvester Hurd

Sri Lanka's religious minorities — Tamils, Muslims, and Christians — have faced systematic discrimination and periodic violence throughout the country's post-independence history. The 2019 Easter Sunday bombings, which killed over 270 people, triggered a wave of anti-Muslim violence and government crackdowns that significantly worsened conditions for Muslim communities. Meanwhile, Buddhist nationalist groups have continued to target mosques, churches, and minority communities with minimal accountability.[1]

Constitutional Framework: Buddhism and State Religion

Sri Lanka's Constitution grants Buddhism a unique constitutional status under Article 9, which places a duty on the state to "protect and foster" the Buddha Sasana. Critics argue this provision institutionalises Buddhist privilege and creates a hierarchy of religious communities inconsistent with equal rights guarantees. The UN Human Rights Committee has expressed concern that Article 9 undermines the country's obligations under Article 18 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR).[2]

In practice, Buddhist nationalist groups — most notably the Bodu Bala Sena (BBS) — have operated with near-impunity in inciting violence against Muslim and Christian communities. The BBS played a central role in the 2014 anti-Muslim riots in Aluthgama, which killed at least four people and destroyed hundreds of homes and businesses. Despite significant evidence, prosecutions were few.

Post-Easter Crackdown on Muslim Communities

The April 2019 Easter Sunday bombings — carried out by a domestic Islamist group — killed 270 people at churches and hotels. In the aftermath, the government invoked the Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA) — a draconian law that allows detention without charge for up to 18 months. Over 1,000 Muslims were detained under the PTA, including individuals with no connection to the attacks. Raids on mosques and Islamic schools became widespread.[3]

The broad application of the Prevention of Terrorism Act after the Easter bombings resulted in arbitrary detention of hundreds of Muslims, many of whom had no connection to the attacks and were held without charge for prolonged periods.
Human Rights Watch, Sri Lanka Report 2020

Muslim burial practices became a flashpoint during the COVID-19 pandemic. The government, citing unsubstantiated claims that Muslim burials spread disease, mandated cremation for all COVID deaths — a practice that violates Islamic religious law. This policy was widely condemned by human rights organisations and OHCHR before being reversed in April 2021.[4]

Tamil Hindus and Christians

Sri Lanka's Tamil community — predominantly Hindu and comprising around 11% of the population — experienced decades of civil war, culminating in the military defeat of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) in 2009. The final phase of the war involved mass civilian casualties, with credible UN estimates suggesting up to 40,000 Tamil civilians were killed in the final weeks of fighting.[5]

Post-war, Tamils in the north and east continue to live under heavy security force presence. Land occupation by the military has displaced Tamil communities. War crimes and enforced disappearances remain largely unaddressed, and transitional justice mechanisms have been repeatedly stalled or reversed by successive governments.

Evangelical Christians face attacks from Buddhist nationalist groups who object to conversion activities. Churches have been attacked and prayer meetings disrupted. Pastors have been detained and questioned by police, who often side with the attackers rather than the victims. There is no law specifically protecting religious minority worship in Sri Lanka.

Implications for Asylum Claims

Sri Lankan asylum claims from religious minorities require careful engagement with the specific risk profile. Tamil Hindus with connections to the LTTE, or who have relatives who disappeared during the war, face ongoing risk from military intelligence surveillance. Muslims detained under the PTA, or those who face community stigmatisation following the Easter bombings, may also have well-founded claims.[6]

Internal relocation from minority-concentrated areas to Colombo is sometimes suggested by decision-makers. However, Tamil individuals with LTTE links and Muslims under PTA scrutiny face nationwide surveillance. For such individuals, relocation does not provide effective protection. Specialist expert evidence on Sri Lanka's security apparatus and minority community conditions is therefore essential.

Consult our Sri Lanka expert witness directory and Sri Lanka country reports for case support. The Sri Lanka asylum guide covers relevant UK country guidance in detail.

Conclusion

Religious minorities in Sri Lanka face a combination of constitutional disadvantage, nationalist violence, and security force targeting that constitutes a serious and documented human rights concern. The post-Easter crackdown on Muslims, the unresolved Tamil war legacy, and the impunity for Buddhist nationalist violence together create a landscape in which protection claims from Sri Lanka's minorities deserve thorough and sympathetic assessment.

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