What’s behind Sri Lanka Easter attacks? | Inside Story

Apr 21, 2019 | Videos

Sri Lanka’s Easter Sunday turned into a scene of death and destuction. Churches and luxury hotels were targeted in at least eight coordinated blasts. Hundreds of people were killed, many as they attended Christian services. The police say the first six explosions happened in one wave, two more blasts came hours later. They took place in the heart of the capital Colombo and cities of Negombo and Battic-aloa A curfew has been imposed and major social media networks blocked. The attacks are the worst since the South Asian country’s civil war ended in 2009. Sri Lanka’s prime minister has vowed to take severe action against those responsible. What does it mean for this country that’s still recovering from a long civil war?

Presenter: Richelle Carey

Guests: Jehan Perera, Executive Director of the National Peace Council of Sri Lanka; Charu Lata Hogg, Associate Fellow, Asia Pacific Programme at Chatham House; Gehan Gunatilleke, Researcher at the Bonavero Institute of Human Rights and Legal Director of Verité Research in Sri Lanka.