A Sri Lankan lawmaker and former minister vowed that the military and monks would continue with the construction of a Buddhist vihara in Mullaitivu, despite opposition from local Tamils and a Sri Lankan court order barring any further work from taking place.
Speaking in parliament, Sarath Weerasekara, a staunch Sinhala nationalist and former minister, claimed that only Sri Lanka’s Department of Archaeology could halt the construction, despite the ongoing court order.
#SriLanka Ruling coalition MP Rear Admiral Sarath Weerasekara vows to carry on with state sponsored construction of a #Buddhist Temple on the archeological site in #Kurunthurmalai and settling people in the neighborhood of #Thirukoneswaram Kovil disregarding #Tamil opposition. pic.twitter.com/FrRdqv3XEn
— LankaFiles (@lankafiles) September 22, 2022
Weerasekara’s remarks come just days after Tamils continued to demonstrate against the construction, in Kurunthurmalai, a hill-top site of an ancient Tamil temple in the district’s Thannimurippu area.
Days after the protest took place, Tamil activists were questioned and arrested by Sri Lankan authorities.
