The Sri Lankan security forces and a notorious, racist Sinhala Buddhist monk blocked two Tamil parliamentarians from visiting protesting Tamil cattle farmers in Batticaloa earlier today.
The Tamil National People’s Front (TNPF) attempted to visit Batticaloa and meet with Tamil farmers, who have been protesting against the encroachment of their lands and the killing of their cattle by Sinhala settlers since at least 2021.
Sinhalese settlers have been encroaching upon land used by Tamil farmers to graze their cattle in Madhavanai and Mayilathamadu in Batticaloa. Over 150 Tamil-owned cows have been killed by Sinhalese settlers so far.
As they approached, they were blocked by Sri Lankan police and extremist Sinhala Buddhist monk, Ampitiye Sumanarathana.
“I will not let you get down from the vehicle,” said the monk. “Try to set foot if possible.”
As the monk ranted against the Tamil parliamentarians, and the Tamil diaspora, Sri Lankan police simply watched on.
Earlier this year, the same monk threatened to kill all of the Tamils in the South, in yet another racist outburst that was caught on camera.
"Every single Tamil person will be cut into pieces!" he said in October. "They will all be killed! All the Tamils in the south will be cut into pieces and butchered! The Sinhalese will massacre them."
