COLOMBO, Sept 27 (AFP): Sri Lanka's main Buddhist nationalist group on Saturday announced it will host a radical cleric from Myanmar who is accused of fanning religious tensions, at a convention which is already attracting opposition from minority Muslims.
Sri Lanka's hardline Bodu Bala Sena (BBS) or Buddhist Force, which has been accused of instigating hate attacks on the island, said the Mandalay-based monk Wirathu would be an honoured guest at its convention in Colombo on Sunday.
The BBS said Muslim and Catholic groups were trying to block Wirathu's visit.
"Racists, extremists and fundamentalists are trying to undermine our international convention," the group said in a statement.
Violence against Muslims in Buddhist-majority Sri Lanka has increased in the last two years, with hardliners attacking dozens of mosques, shops and homes.
The country suffered its worst religious violence in decades this June when riots broke out in the resorts of Aluthgama and Beruwala, leaving four people dead.
The BBS has been accused of instigating a string of attacks against mosques, Christian churches and Muslim-owned businesses. The government has denied tacitly supporting the BBS.
Sri Lanka nationalists to host controversial Myanmar monk
FE Team | Published: September 28, 2014 00:00:00 | Updated: November 30, 2026 06:01:00
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