The Sri Lankan government has announced it will block all visas for tourists from Myanmar, in an effort to stop Rohingya Muslim refugees from entering the island.
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.