Sri Lankan police and military protection for Sinhala monks at illegal Buddhist temple

by Rukshana
Jun 26, 2024

(Virakesari)

The Sri Lankan government recently provided police protection and increased military presence for a group of Sinhala Buddhist monks who are undertaking a pilgrimage on foot to Kurunthurmalai, where an illegally built Buddhist temple is situated.

The increased security for the monks contrasts sharply with the surveillance of Tamil devotees by police during a pooja at the Athi Aiyanar temple in the same area last week.

Sri Lankan police, paramilitary forces from the Special Task Force, and military personnel were seen guarding the pilgrimage route. Authorities set up roadblocks, impeding local Tamil movement and subjecting residents to checks. Buddhist flags and banners marked the journey's path, with tents provided for resting monks.

During this pilgrimage, the monks travelled to an illegally constructed Buddhist shrine in Kurunthurmalai. Situated in the Thannimurippu area of the Mullaitivu district, the unauthorized Buddhist vihara has been a source of tension since 2018, sparking protests from local Tamils in the region.

Galgamuwa Shantha Bodhi, the head monk who spearheaded the construction of the illegal vihara with Sri Lankan military support, has persistently defied court orders. Despite international discussions and legal battles, the construction continued and was fuelled by military backing and support from members of the Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) party.

The situation escalated when Judge T Saravanaraja, overseeing legal cases related to the vihara’s unlawful construction, fled the island due to death threats.

The Athi Aiyanar temple, a traditional Tamil place of worship in Thannimurippu, has been the target of intense land grab efforts by Sinhala Buddhist monks in recent years.

This is seen as an extension of state-sponsored Buddhisation, aiming to claim historically Tamil sites as part of Sinhala Buddhist culture. This incident is part of ongoing efforts by the Sri Lankan state to colonize and construct Buddhist structures in traditional Tamil areas across the North-East. 

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