A/HRC/40/23 the Panel of Experts on Accountability in Sri Lanka appointed by the Secretary-General in its report12 and the OHCHR investigation on Sri Lanka.13 58. The High Commissioner is deeply concerned at the aggravation of intercommunal tensions, in particular at several attacks conducted by militant Buddhist groups targeting cultural, religious (including the Muslim community and evangelical Christians) or sexual minorities. The most serious incident was the series of riots that broke out in Kandy district, between 5 and 8 March 2018, when mobs of Sinhala-Buddhist demonstrators attacked mosques and Muslim-owned houses and businesses. Two people were killed during the riots (one Muslim man when his home was set on fire, and a demonstrator as a result of an unclarified explosion) and 28 people were injured, while public property, 445 houses and shops, 24 places of worship and 65 vehicles were vandalized. The initial passive response of the police and the inability to control the situation led to President Sirisena declaring a state of emergency from 6 to 18 March 2018, and restrictions on social media and messaging platforms. A total of 280 people were arrested for the Kandy riots and connected activities. While some of those arrested were demonstrators, on 8 March at least 10 people identified as leaders of radical groups inciting the violence were arrested by the Terrorist Investigation Division, including Amith Jeewan Weerasinghe, the leader of Mahasohon Balakaya. On 1 November 2018, Mr. Weerasinghe, reportedly also one of the leaders of the riots in Kandy, and two other persons charged were granted bail. 59. Incidents targeting evangelical Christians continued to be reported. Since January 2018, one non-governmental organization working on freedom of religion has documented 86 such incidents, including threats and disruption of religious services. 60. The recurrence of incidents of intercommunal violence,14 the degree of premeditation in some cases, the extensive use of social media to spread misinformation and nurture myths against the Muslim community (ranging from economic dominance to demographic expansion) and the use of hate speech to escalate small local incidents (such as a traffic accident or a land dispute) into communal confrontation combine to form a very dangerous pattern that must be closely watched. V. Conclusions and recommendations 61. In 2015, by co-sponsoring Human Rights Council resolution 30/1, the Government of Sri Lanka recognized the need to address the past in order to build a brighter future, grounded in accountability, respect for human rights and the rule of law. The lack of decisive steps to that end, and of appropriate communication, has generated widespread frustration. The lack of accountability for past actions likely contributed to the return of violence against minorities in March 2018, and played a role in undermining the principles of democracy and the rule of law in October and November 2018. 62. The High Commissioner notes the constructive engagement of the Government of Sri Lanka with OHCHR and United Nations human rights mechanisms since January 2015. The Government has made progress in human rights issues and its engagement with civil society in some areas. Progress in its commitments to transitional justice has, however, been inconsistent and subject to considerable delay, partly because of the lack of a time-bound comprehensive strategy. Such important achievements as the establishment of the Office on Missing Persons and the Office for Reparations, and the national consultations have been neither adequately supported by the political leadership nor sufficiently linked to the accountability and truth-seeking components that should be at the core of the reconciliation and accountability agenda. The High Commissioner nonetheless praises the commitment of and efforts made by some 12 13 14 12 See www.un.org/News/dh/infocus/Sri_Lanka/POE_Report_Full.pdf. Available from www.ohchr.org/en/hrbodies/hrc/regularsessions/session30/pages/listreports.aspx. The riots in Kandy followed a smaller incident in Ampara, in February 2018, and incidents in 2017 in Gintota, Mount Lavinia and other locations reported in previous updates, and the Aluthgama riots of 2014. See A/HRC/37/23, paras. 46-47.