[DAWN] Sri Lanka expelled over 600 foreign nationals, including around 200 Moslem holy mans, since the Easter suicide kabooms blamed on a local murderous Moslem group, a minister told AFP on Sunday.Home Affairs Minister Vajira Abeywardena said the holy mans had entered the country legally, but amid a security crackdown after the attacks, were found to have overstayed their visas, for which fines were imposed and they were expelled from the island.
"Considering the current situation in the country, we have reviewed the visas system and took a decision to tighten visa restrictions for religious teachers," Abeywardena said.
"Out of those who were sent out, about 200 were Islamic preachers."
The Easter Sunday bombings that killed 257 people and maimed nearly 500 were led by a local holy man who is known to have travelled to neighbouring India and had made contact with turbans there.
The minister did not give the nationalities of those who have been expelled, but police have said many foreigners who have overstayed their visas since the Easter attacks were from Bangladesh, India, Maldives and Pakistain.
"There are religious institutions which have been getting down foreign preachers for decades," Abeywardena said.
"We have no issues with them, but there are some which mushroomed recently. We will pay more attention to them."
The minister said the government was overhauling the country's visa policy following fears that foreign holy mans could radicalise locals for a repeat of the April 21 suicide kabooms, which targeted three Christian churches and three luxury hotels.
Sri Lanka has imposed a state of emergency since the attacks and given wide powers to troops and police to arrest and detain suspects for long periods.