Sri Lanka denies plans to halt visas from Myanmar

The Sri Lankan government rejected reports that it was planning to halt the issuing of visas to those travelling from Myanmar in a bid to stop Rohingya Muslims from entering the island. 

Nihal Ranasinghe from the Department of Immigration and Emigration told BBC Sinhala that there was "no truth" in such reports. 

"If such a decision is going to be taken, the Ministry of External Affairs, the Department of Immigration and Emigration will discuss the specific facts and take such an action," he added, Colombo Page reported. 
 
Speaking to The Sunday Leader, Sri Lankan Minister of Internal Affairs S. B. Navinna, said his government took the decision to stop Rohingya Muslims from seeking refuge in Sri Lanka. He warned that Rohingya may attempt to enter the island by posing as tourists.

His comments come after Sinhala Buddhist monks staged a rally in Colombo in support of Myanmar’s military offensive in the Rakhine state, which has displaced hundreds of thousands of Rohingya Muslims.

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