By Charles Haviland BBC News, Colombo

	President ordered them to deal with the underworld, police say

They allege that several have been killed or have disappeared. The police say they’re engaged in a necessary clampdown on organised crime.

No sooner had Friday prayers ended at the Friday Mosque in the Muslim area of Maligawatta, than several dozen men and women marched off down the street, shouting anti-police slogans.

Their posters said “Ramadan Wet with Blood” and “Innocent to Sacrifice”.

'All Muslims'

In the past few weeks the police have regularly announced the killing of men they describe as underworld figures, or those involved in crime, usually in encounters in the streets.

Almost all are Muslims.

There should be a law, courts of law. Actually it is the law of the jungle. So we want to show the government, the entire world, that there is no law in this country Human rights activist, MN Abubakar

Some demonstrators said more than 16 have died in this way and that some of the victims were not criminals, but that even criminals should be treated with due legal process.

MN Abubakar, a local human rights activist argues that the police are violating the law in Sri Lanka.

“There should be a law, courts of law. Actually it is the law of the jungle. So we want show the government, the entire world, that there is no law in this country,” he said.

The government is unapologetic.

It says it wants to use the same resources it used against the now defeated Tamil Tigers, against the underworld – and that police have been killing criminals in self-defence when they’ve drawn guns.

The media are mostly supportive.

But one of the speakers at the Muslim protest, which was partially organised by leftist parties, said that if the current situation continued, Muslims in Colombo might take up weapons.