At least three people have been killed and 52 injured after Buddhist mobs rampaged through Muslim areas in southwest Sri Lanka , police say . The outbreak of religious violence followed a large rally Sunday by the Bodu Bala Sena , a hardline Buddhist nationalist group led by monks , in the town of Aluthgama , about 60 kilometers south of Colombo . The rally was prompted by the alleged assault of a monk by Muslim youths days earlier , police said . After the rally , violence erupted on both sides as the demonstrators marched through Muslim neighborhoods , allegedly chanting anti-Muslim slogans , according to a statement by the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights , Navi Pillay . Muslim homes and shops were gutted in the violence , which has prompted Muslims in the region to gather in mosques for safety . Sri Lankan police spokesman Ajith Rohana told CNN that 12 people from Sri Lanka 's Sinhalese majority had been arrested over the violence , some of them members of Bodu Bala Sena . `` They have been remanded at the moment and we 're framing charges in due course , '' he said . Soldiers had been brought in to enforce a curfew , banning people from the roads or from gathering in public places , in the hope of preventing further clashes in Aluthgama and the nearby town of Beruwala , coastal destinations popular with foreign tourists . The curfew was relaxed from 8 a.m. to noon Tuesday to allow people to leave their homes to gather supplies . Rohana said that `` sporadic incidents '' had been reported Monday night , but that authorities had the situation under control . The violence has alarmed international observers , with the U.N. 's Pillay urging Sri Lanka 's government to `` urgently do everything it can to arrest this violence , curb the incitement and hate speech which is driving it , and protect all religious minorities . '' `` I am very concerned this violence could spread to Muslim communities in other parts of the country , '' she said . Sri Lanka 's Justice Minister Rauff Hakeem , a Muslim , said his party would weigh its future in the government depending on the official response to the attacks . `` I am ashamed I could not help my people , '' he said . Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa , who is in Bolivia for the G77 summit , commented on the clashes on Twitter . `` The Government will not allow anyone to take the law into their own hands . I urge all parties concerned to act in restraint , '' he wrote . `` An investigation will be held for law to take its course of action to bring to book those responsible for incidents in Aluthgama . '' READ MORE : Are Sri Lanka 's 'anti-terror ' arrests an attempt to intimidate activists ? About three-quarters of Sri Lanka 's population are Sinhalese , most of them Theravada Buddhists . According to the country 's 2011 census , 70.2 % of the population is Buddhist , 12.6 % Hindu , 9.7 % Muslim and 7.4 % Christian . In recent years , the country has witnessed a surge of Buddhist nationalism , led by the Bodu Bala Sena , the country 's most powerful Buddhist organization , which has pledged to defend the religion . Its rally on Sunday was held in response to an earlier incident on Thursday , which is a public holiday in Sri Lanka commemorating the day Buddhism reached the island nation . Rohana said a Buddhist monk and his driver had been assaulted by a group of four Muslim youths , sparking anger among the Buddhist community . The four alleged assailants were subsequently arrested . He said the mob violence did not begin until the rally on Sunday . Fred Carver , of the UK-based Sri Lanka Campaign for Peace and Justice , urged Sri Lanka 's authorities to rapidly take charge of the situation . `` We know from past experience that ethnic violence in Sri Lanka rapidly spirals and leads to phenomenal loss of life unless there is swift and effective intervention by the police , '' he told CNN . `` In the longer term , I hope the Sri Lankan Government reflects on the consequences of patronizing and endorsing extremist nationalists , while at the same time engendering a culture of impunity for those involved in ethnic violence . '' The U.S. Embassy in Sri Lanka condemned the violence and called on all sides to show restraint . Groups warn of backlash as U.N. calls for probe into Sri Lanka civil war .
At least 3 people dead , 52 injured after Buddhist mobs attacked Muslim areas in Sri Lanka . The rampage followed a rally by a hardline Buddhist nationalist group led by monks . The rally was prompted by the alleged assault of a monk by Muslim youths days earlier . The towns , popular tourist destinations , are now subject to a curfew .