COLOMBO, SRI LANKA, May 17, 2005: A strike gripped Sri Lanka’s strategic north-eastern town of Trincomalee today as the minority Hindu population staged a protest over the installation of a Buddha statue in the midst of the town. Tamils, who are mainly Hindus, oppose the setting up of the statue, while the Sinhalese, who are mainly Buddhist want it. Public transport in the area was at a standstill and shops and offices were closed. “We are stepping up security because there is a lot of tension,” a local police officer said adding that since the dispute could not be resolved amicably, they decided to take the matter to court.
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