Pakistani police on Monday had detained dozens of suspects in the weekend lynching of a man accused of blasphemy against Islam, but a Christian rights activist warned of more violence.
Local authorities in separate districts of Sri Lanka recently ordered two churches to close down, on the grounds that the congregations’ Christian activities are offensive to their communities, Voice of the Martyrs Canada (VOM) reports. Sri Lanka’s constitution gives preferential status to Buddhism, and demands by the authorities for churches to close are not uncommon.
There were fears Thursday of new unrest in Sri Lanka after Parliament elected Ranil Wickremesinghe as the new president of the bankrupt Buddhist-majority nation.
Christians and other Sri Lankans facing shortages faced uncertainty Wednesday as the prime minister of Sri Lanka ordered the military to “do whatever is necessary to restore order” after protesters stormed his office.
Sri Lanka’s president appointed Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe to the role “while the president is overseas” after fleeing his bankrupt nation facing a state of emergency.
Sri Lanka’s President Gotabaya Rajapaksa fled his bankrupt nation Tuesday after mass protests against his rule, officials said.
The president of bankrupt Sri Lanka, Gotabaya Rajapaksa, will resign Wednesday amid violent protests against his rule, the parliament speaker said.
The prime minister of bankrupt Sri Lanka, Ranil Wickremesinghe, has agreed to resign after protestors stormed the president’s residence and office. Parliament and party leaders also demanded that he and the president step down.