Sri Lankan Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe said his government would not allow Rohingya Muslims fleeing violence into the island, as Sinhala Buddhists continued to rally in support of Myanmar’s military offensive in the Rakhine state.
The Island reported Mr Wickremesinghe as stating Rohingya refugees “could easily seek refuge in neighbouring Bangladesh or Thailand”.
He reportedly told a Sri Lankan parliamentary group that his government “would not permit” any asylum seekers.
Whilst Sri Lankan politicians have been keen to reject any reports of providing assistance to Rohingya refugees, Tamil speaking people across the North-East have demonstrated against the violence perpetrated against the Rohingya population.
