by Melani Manel Perera

This comes in the wake of attacks by radical Buddhists against the Muslim community in the south of the country. For local group, "the military's intervention makes no sense" because "they were silent as riots took place".

Colombo (AsiaNews) - Military and police are at work rebuilding areas hit by anti-Islamic violence in mid-June, in southern Sri Lanka.

On the orders of President Mahinda Rajapaksa, Defence Secretary Gotabaya Rajapaksa and Army Commander General Daya Ratnayake sent more than 125 soldiers to carry out the job.

However, the Free Media Movement has questioned the measure. "Why should the military rebuild when they were silent as riots took place?"

Overnight on 15 June, the Bodu Bala Sena (BBS, Buddhist Brigade) unleashed violence against Sri Lanka's Muslim community. Four people died during the ensuing clashes.

The government is spending 200 million rupees (US$ 1.5 million) on reconstruction, 150 million from the military, which will organise the work in two phases.

Free Media Movement secretary Sunil Jayasekara, "the military's intervention makes no sense. Clearly, the government wants to redeem the image of the armed forces, but other organisations can do the job."

• sri
• lanka
• anti-muslim
• violence
• reconstruction