[15][16] On Poson Poya (12 June 2014) Buddhist monk Ayagama Samitha and his driver were allegedly assaulted by Muslims in Dharga Town.

[18] That evening a tense situation arose in Aluthgama as a group of Sinhalese Buddhists started protesting against the alleged assault.

[22][26] Local residents started throwing stones at the BBS convoy which resulted in violent clashes erupting between the two groups.

[37] Three men who were trying to protect Welipitiya mosque in Dharga Town were shot dead in the early hours of 16 June 2014 by a group travelling in a vehicle.

[51] On the night of 16 June 2014 the riots spread to the Welipenna where a mob of 50-60 men armed with guns, Molotov cocktails and knives destroyed 26 shops and nine houses.

[18] An Al Jazeera crew travelling between Mathugama and Aluthgama on 17 June 2014 were attacked by a mob who damaged their vehicle's windscreen.

[68][69] President Mahinda Rajapaksa, accompanied by government minister Mervyn Silva, visited Beruwala on 18 June 2014 to meet victims of the riots and promised an impartial inquiry.

[73][74] At a meeting in Badulla on 21 June 2014 Rajapaksa blamed "international forces" for a "concerted efforts to destabilise the country" and ordered a crackdown on hate groups.

Moderate Buddhist monk Watareka Vijitha, who had been critical of the BBS, was abducted and assaulted in the Bandaragama area on 19 June 2014.

[90] The Muslim owned No-Limit clothing store in Panadura was destroyed by fire in the early hours of 21 June 2014, causing Rs.400 million in damage.

[83] President Rajapaksa, who was in Bolivia for the Group of 77 summit, issued statements via social media urging restraint and promising an investigation.

[103] However, Champika Ranawaka, Minister of Technology, Research and Atomic Energy and leading member of the Jathika Hela Urumaya, blamed the violence on Muslim extremists and accused the United States of nurturing a Taliban in Sri Lanka.

[105] At the 26 regular session of the United Nations Human Rights Council on 20 June 2014 the Sri Lankan government blamed Muslims for the riots.

[109] UNP MP Mangala Samaraweera, a vocal critic of the Rajapaksa government, went as far as to name three senior military intelligence officers - General (retd) Kapila Hendawitharana (defence ministry advisor), Colonel Suresh Salley and Deputy Inspector General Chandra Wakishta (deputy chief of the State Intelligence Service) - whom he accused of instigating the violence.

[113][114] UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon expressed concern at the communal violence and urged the government to ensure the safety of all Sri Lankans.

[115] UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Navi Pillay issued a statement on 16 June 2014 expressing alarm at the riots and urging the government to halt the violence and hate speech and bring the perpetrators to book.

[116][117] The European Union delegation in Colombo, with the support of the Norwegian, Swiss and Turkish embassies, issued a statement on 20 June 2014 condemning the violence and urging the government to uphold the rule of law.

[119][120] The US embassy in Colombo also a statement on 16 June 2014 condemning the violence and urging the government to restore order and bring the perpetrators to justice.

[129][130] The riots took place in a popular tourist area which prompted some foreign governments to issue travel advisories to their citizens.