Tamils protested the illegal construction of a Buddhist temple on occupied land in Thaiyiddy, Jaffna over the weekend.
A group of Tamils gathered outside Tissa Raja Vihara, to demand the immediate removal of the temple. 12 acres of land surrounding the temple are owned by 14 farming families but are currently also occupied. The group have been protesting at the site every Poya (full moon) day since it was illegally constructed in April 2023.
Protesters were joined by members of the Tamil National People's Front (TNPF) including the party's secretary Selvarajah Kajendren. Last year, Kajendren was arrested by Sri Lanka police amongst nine other Tamils for participating in the protests.
Last month, another Buddhist temple began its construction in Thaiyiddy despite a lack of permission from local authorities. Residents have raised their objections over the latest construction at the Jaffna District Coordination Committee meeting where the committee noted that they had not permitted the development to take place.
The construction of Buddhist temples in the North-East forms part of the Sri Lankan government's ongoing efforts to alter the demographics of the traditionally Tamil homeland. Across the North-East, traditionally Tamil and Muslim sites have been either destroyed or appropriated. Despite this, Tamils have been relentless in resisting Sri Lanka's colonisation.
