Video shows Sri Lanka Buddhist monk rallying mob to burn UN safe house

Rohingya refugees sheltered in a UN safe-house were forced to evacuate after a Sinhala Buddhist monk led violent mob openly schemed to set fire to the building while police looked on.

Shocking video footage has emerged showing a Buddhist monk casually summoning Sinhalese in a live broadcast over social media to help set fire to a building housing “Rohingya terrorists”.

“Let every possible Sinhalese assemble here to set the building on fire from below,” Sinhala National Force Secretary General Arambepola Rathanasara can be seen announcing over facebook.

“Then those inside can be smoked out.”

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16 children

Another monk who was demanding police at the gate to allow the mob in to act against the Rohingya refugees was seen delivering an ultimatum.

“We will give you one hour,” the unidentified monk warned.

A member of the mob captured the video footage. “Sinhalese come to Mount Lavinia,” one man was heard shouting in the background.

Still at large

The mob were laying siege to a house in the Colombo suburbs a week ago where the UN refugee protection body had housed 31 Rohingyas. 16 of them are children under 10 years.

“There is no other option,” Arambepola Rathanasara, who is still at large announced in Sinhala.

“We need to take the law into our hands in whichever way possible. So, everyone who can do so should come here and we will get into action. Now we are going to stop live broadcasts, because the rest of the work is to be done in the way we want. Therefore, everyone who can, come here.”

Later, police were forced to evacuate the refugees to the Boossa high security detention center.

© JDS