Several dozen people threw stones at mosques and Muslim-owned stores, and a man was beaten in the Christian-majority town of Chilaw on the west coast on Sunday in a dispute that started on Facebook. The police arrested the author of a Facebook post, identified as 38-year-old Abdul Mohamed Hasmar, whose online comment was interpreted as threatening violence. Extra police forces have been deployed across the country. Sri Lanka has used temporary bans on social media in a bid to deter misinformation and rumors.
