A new Sinhalese Buddhist group, the Bodu Bala Sena, or Buddhist Strength Force in Sri Lanka has called for the abolition of the Muslim halaal system of certifying foods and other goods.

The hardline group has also said foreign propagators of other religions must leave the country within a month. The calls come at a time of mounting religious tension in the country where there have been several attacks on both mosques and Muslim-owned businesses as well as on Christian churches and the clergy.

Supporters in their thousands including youth brandishing T-shirts denouncing the Muslim halaal method of slaughtering animals to eat gathered on grounds of the rally and the surrounding streets at Maharagama in Colombo's outer suburbs to hear nationalist speeches by the group's monks.

According to Charles Haviland from the BBC, one member of the group, Dilanthe Withanage, accused "some" unnamed countries of "funding Christian fundamentalists as well as Muslim fundamentalists" in Sri Lanka.

The AFP news agency reports the leaders called for a boycott of halaal meat and demanded shops clear their stocks by April. The group's secretary-general, Venerable Galaboda Aththe Gnanasara, told supporters that "only monks can save this race", referring to Sinhalese.

Unofficial Police

Gnanasara claimed that Christian and Muslim extremists were threatening Buddhists, and said hundreds of monks were ready to fight. "Our country is a Sinhalese one and we are its unofficial police," he added.

The Buddhist Strength Force has however denied being anti-minority, and has dissociated itself from the recent attacks on Muslim and Christian targets. The President of Sri Lanka, Mahinda Rajapakse has called on monks not to incite religious hatred and violence, with one opposition politician saying "the situation is very bad".

While Mujeebur Rahuman of the opposition United National Party said "Any moment, the ethnic riot will start between Sinhalese and Muslims. They are now working freely. Nobody is talking about this organisation and the government is not trying to stop their activities."

The Buddhist Sinhalese make up three-quarters of Sri Lanka's 20 million population.  Muslims constitute about 10% and have generally had good relations with the Sinhalese majority.