Sri Lanka bombings (1 Viewer)

[dmlaw]

More than 200 dead in bombings which appear to have targeted Easter Sunday church services. No one has claimed responsibility yet but the scale and number of explosions suggests serious organisation. Fucking horrible.

 

[Phoenix]

I kept waking up and seeing updates at night with the death numbers rising. Truly awful.

 

[BoysForSeles]

Sickening.

 

[octophone]

Just seeing this now - this is utterly horrific. How low can we sink as a species, exactly?

 

[cwej]

Make. It. Stop.

Sri Lanka is such a beautiful country. This breaks my heart.

 

[SDF]

Really? I didn’t love Sri Lanka when I was there, although Kandy is gorgeous and the rock was amazing

Anyway this is horrid and I can’t quite think why anyone would want to attack the place

 

[cwej]

God I loved it! I thought it was a stunning country. What didn't you like about it?

 

[Mats]

Denmark's richest man (and Scotland's biggest landowner) has lost three kids in the bombings [/localnews]

has anyone claimed responsibility yet? is it related to the civil war?

 

[AGinAg (39)]

No one has said anything yet. How long has the war been over now?

 

[Beverley]

I suspect it isnt related to the civil war, but a response by Muslim extremist groups to the increasing persecution of Muslims in Sri Lanka. The Buddhists have been borrowing Burmese rhetoric for a while now, resulting in communal riots in Kandy about a year ago.

 

[Mats]

I had no idea the predominant religion was Buddhism, I would've guessed Hinduism given its proximity to India and really not much else around. those Burmese extremist monks are whacked... sad that their thoughts are catching on elsewhere

 

[dmlaw]

I've seen speculation that the attack was down to Islamist extremism but I didn't know if that was actually based on anything. It seems strange to predominantly target Christians if the attack is to be justified by persecution from the Buddhist majority.

 

[Beverley]

Deffo. As I was thinking about it, I remembered my friend saying that a lot of stuff about these attacks doesnt add up; all the religious minorities in Sri Lanka are ethnically Tamil and have never really had a problem with each other. The problem has always been between the Singalese/Buddhist majority and their relationship with the minorities. Even when a jihadi group is named, I suspect my friend is right - that there is perhaps more to this than meets the eye.

 

[AGinAg (39)]

Well the BBC are reporting that local officials are blaming jihadists, with international support. On one had, that fits in with a certain narrative. But on the other hand I don't know much (read: anything) about the current Sri Lankan government. I have no reason to doubt or believe what they say.

 

[Ricardo3]

surely ISIS at work here

but I can't really see why they are bothering Sri lanka? any ideas..?