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SL assures safety of Maldivians in the country
The Sri Lankan government on Thursday said that Maldivians residing in Sri Lanka will not face any danger from the anti-Muslim riots and that it was "conscious" of the safety of Maldivians.
At a joint press conference with Maldivian foreign minister Dunya Maumoon, external affairs minister GL Peiris said that the 9,000 plus Maldivian in Sri Lanka lived a contended and safe life.
He said that no violence have been observed from Dehiwela and Mt. Lavinia areas where most Maldivians are settled in.
"Absolutely no incident has happened in these areas. The incident was very localised. No Maldivians have been affected due to those incidents," the minister said, stressing on how Sri Lankan Muslims and Buddhists have lived in harmony for centuries.
Maldivian foreign minister Dunya said that Maldivians have the Sri Lanka's word on their safety and that her ministry was monitoring the situation closely via the high commission in Colombo. But she admitted that rumours on social media and some media reports have panicked some Maldivians in Sri Lanka.
"I'm not saying that there are no serious issues. But our foreign ministry is constantly in touch with the high commissioner Zahiya, contacting locals there and assessing the situation," the minister said.
"We're confident that the Sri Lanka will soon be able to overcome the challenges arising from the tensions that flare up between Muslims and Buddhists in some parts of Sri Lanka in the recent weeks. Peace and stability is vital for any country or community."
Dunya also noted that the Maldives recognises the strength and speed of Sri Lanka's recovery from the 30-year old civil war, which ended in 2009.
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(Haveeru Online)
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