This video promoted a hoax -- police and local officials denied a Sinhala youth was attacked in Colombo

The video was published in this Facebook post on August 2, 2019, where it was viewed more than 55,000 times before it was deleted.

Below is a screenshot of the misleading Facebook post:

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Screenshot of misleading Facebook post

The post's Sinhalese caption translates to English as: “A Sinhalese hacked in Maharagama”.

In the five minute, 18 second video, a man dressed as a Buddhist monk speaks to the camera. During the first two minutes of the clip, his comments in Sinhalese translate to English as:

“May the Triple Gems bless you all! Not sure if you are aware, but an incident has occurred in Maharagama… The night before yesterday, at around 11.30, a Sinhala youth has been hacked by a group of Muslims and the victim is currently receiving treatment at the Intensive Care Unit of the Maharagama Hospital. We have heard this from confidential sources. The youth had been hacked because he opened a shoe shop. A Muslim group opened another shoe shop in the adjoining space. The Muslims incurred losses within a few days of opening the shop. Due to jealousy regarding the business success of the Sinhala boy, they had asked the Sinhala boy to close down his shop. But the Sinhala boy had told that he will not stop this venture. The day before yesterday night at around 11.00 when he went to a shop, the group of Muslims had approached him, dragged him into the shop and hacked him. We have received information he is in the Intensive Care Unit. So we ask these dogs, these leaders who are wastes of space, why are you still asleep? This can’t be given to media, reporting on this has been prohibited. None of the page admins who go in search of garbage, talk about this issue. This is the country of the Sinhalese; this is the holy country that Buddha visited thrice. This is not Allah’s country. Various Muslims, good for nothing Muslims, are telling us to stop talking about our community; and that if we don't stop within a month they would teach us a lesson. Remember one thing! This country was safeguarded from parayas until this point because of this robe; it has been so in the past, it is the case now and it will be so in the future…” 

Maharagama is a town in Sri Lanka, located in the suburbs of its capital, Colombo.

“Paraya” deriving from the word 'pariah' in local context, refers to a social outcast.

The same video was also shared here on Facebook and here on YouTube with a similar claim.

A similar claim that a Sinhala youth was killed in Colombo was published on Facebook here and here without the video within days of the first misleading post being published.

The claim in the posts is false; local police and officials told AFP no such crime had been reported in the area.

The man speaking in the video provides few details about the alleged attack, including the town where it purportedly occured.

At the 15 second mark in the video in the misleading posts, the man claims the victim was admitted to the Intensive Care Unit of the Maharagama hospital.

A keyword search found that no hospital with this name exists.

The only major hospital in Maharagama is the National Cancer Institute of Sri Lanka, which only accommodates patients diagnosed with cancer. 

Maharagama Police Officer in Charge T S Meedin told AFP by phone on August 6, 2019 no such incident had been reported to his force. 

“I am aware that some social media rumours have been circulating, with claims that a Sinhala youth was hacked by a group of Muslims,” he said. “No such incident has been reported and neither has any complaint been lodged with the police with regard to any such crime.”

On August 7, 2019, Treasurer of the Maharagama Trade Association Athula Samarasiri told AFP by phone that no such crime took place in the area.

“Over 257 shops in Maharagama town is registered with the Trade Association. If a crime of this nature occurred, we would definitely be aware of it,” he said.

Responding to claims, also mentioned in the misleading clip, that police and STF protection had been provided to Muslim shops, he said special security has not been provided to any of the shops in the town.

“Following Easter attacks security measures have been in place but we would definitely be aware if one or more shops separately received additional security. Such claims are simply not true!” he said.

Samarasiri was refering to attacks on Easter Sunday 2019 in Sri Lanka which left hundreds of people dead. Here is an AFP report in the incident.