A second protestor involved in the Weliweriya demonstration has died, after being wounded by troops who fired on the villagers.
There is a heavy presence of Special Task Force soldiers and armed police in the village, according to the AFP.
"People are afraid to go outside of their houses because of the security forces' presence," A. Siridamma, the senior Buddhist monk in the area told reporters.
The US embassy in Colombo has expressed concern about the incidents in a statement.
“The U.S. Embassy is concerned about the violence in yesterday’s protest in Weliweriya, and urges the Government of Sri Lanka to respect the rights of people to protest peacefully, and urges restraint from all sides.”
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