Tamils from Palali who remain internally displaced after the army took control of the area, demanded that they be allowed to go home, reported the Jaffna newspaper, Uthayan.

Raising these concerns with the TNA MP Mavai Senathirajah, over 200 Tamils have threatened to fast unto death in protest unless the resettlement occurs immediately.

Tamils who have been displaced from Palali have been living in welfare centres and at the homes of relatives for over 30 years. Currently, there still no plan in place to resettle them back to their original homes as Palali remains within a High Security Zone (HSZ).

Mavai Senathirajah said that he expects a decision from Supreme Court on resettlement to HSZ areas soon.

A large number of Buddhist monks and supporters took part in a protest march in Kalutara on Monday, demanding the removal of the mosque in Dambulla.

The protest was organised by a Buddhist organisation called 'Buddhist Protection Foundation'.

Addressing reporters, the Executive Director of the Foundation, a Buddhist monk, Puliyadde Sudhamma Thero vowed that Monday's protest was just a "beginning in a series of protests" against the mosque.

He said that "muslim extremists" had built the mosque in a sacred Buddhist area.

Last month, thousands of Buddhist monks and protesters protested outside the mosque in Dambulla, calling for the mosque to be demolished as it was built on 'sacred Buddhist' ground.

Sri Lankan president, Mahinda Rajapaksa

Sri Lanka's Buddhist monks have often played a decisive role in the key issues facing the country, such as the UNHRC resolution on Sri Lanka, the 2009 general elections, and the resumption of armed conflict in 2008. 

UNP leader Ranil Wickramasinghe	TNA  leader R Sampanthan

See here for more on what has been dubbed the 'angry monk syndrome'.

The Dambulla mosque protests provide yet another glimpse into what drives them.

In an interview with the Sunday Leader, the chief priest at the Rangiri Dambulla Viharaya, Sumangala Thero, who took part in the Dambulla mosque protests, shared his thoughts on the subject.

According to the newspaper, the reporter was reportedly warned of "dire consequences" if she ever stepped foot into Dambulla. 

Excerpts of the interview are reproduced below:

Sunday Leader: When you speak of collective responsibility of the Cabinet, I would like to remind you that in Sri Lanka we have a multi religious, multi cultural and multi ethnic society.

Sumangala Thero: What nonsense. You are speaking of a nonsensical theory. This country has fourteen million buddhists. How many muslims are there? For example in Thailand, the majority are Buddhists. In Myanmar too Buddhists are in the majority. Catholics are a majority at the Vatican. Therefore, we say that the Vatican is a Catholic State. Similarly in the middle east many countries have a Muslim majority. Therefore we call them Islamic States.

Sunday Leader: That is not what I meant. When a society consists of multi religious people practicing different faiths, should they not have equal rights?

Sumangala Thero: Are you trying to wrest away our Buddhist rights? We have respected all. What we have here is none of that. It is about protecting the Buddhist legacy against the wresting of it. There is no need for talking nonsense here. We are fighting to save the 2300 year old Buddhist heritage that is ours! They in turn are trying to wrest away our heritage. Therefore it would be good for all to understand that reality. I am vocal to protect that right and not to wrest away someone else’s right or property. It is the Islamists who are trying something else here. That cannot be allowed. We never went to Iraq or the middle east to wrest the rights of Islamists? This is robbery. You tell the whole country of this position clearly.

See here for interview in full.

See related articles:

The same old story (28 Apr 2012)

Monks and the mob in Dambulla (23 Apr 2012)

A Sri Lankan Navy sailor placed in Trincomalee has committed suicide after shooting a female officer earlier on Monday, reported Ceylon Today.

The incident marks the second time in the space of a few days where a member of the Sri Lankan Armed Forces has killed a colleague and then committed suicide in the heavily militarised Tamil homeland, in the North-East of the island.

See our earlier post:

2 SLA soldiers dead after shots fired in Jaffna (05 May 2012)

Canadian embassy officials examined the residence of the 53-year-old murdered Canadian Tamil, reported the Jaffna daily newspaper, Uthayan.

Anthonypillai Mahendrasa was found dead with a slit across his throat near Paranthan Junction in the Kilinochchi district of Vanni, last week.

According to the post mortem report he had fallen to the ground and had been struggling before he died.

Local people said they had seen unidentified men wearing balaclavas during the time of his death.

Mahendrarasa was reportedly visiting the area to reaffirm his ownership of land he owns in the Kumarapuram - currently occupied by the Sri Lankan military.

The Sri Lankan government will submit its formal protest against the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Navi Pillay, reported the Daily Mirror.

The Sri Lankan government will be sending a letter to the High Commissioner, accusing Pillay of violating her mandate and the UN Charter.

One of those believed to be working on this campaign is Sri Lanka's Permanent Representative in Geneva, Tamara Kunanayakam.

Interestingly, Kunanayakam has reportedly been asked by her government to resign from her current position.

However, refusing to resign, Ms Kunanyakam argued that such a move would "suggest instability" in Sri Lanka's diplomacy, in letter to the external affairs minister G.L. Peiris

Commenting on the recent killing of a deported Tamil refugee in Sri Lanka, the US-based activist group, Tamils Against Genocide (TAG) highlighted the "urgent need" for better access to legal and financial support.

Speaking to Tamilnet, Jan Jananayagam of TAG said,

"while in the U.K. we are becoming more familiar with the legal system, and with the help of a handful of legal professionals setting up a system to help the Tamil asylum seekers, the refugee situation is worse in Europe and in South Asia."

"There is an urgent need to help these refugees to gain easy access to legal and financial support, and to lessen the burden on the same people who have already undergone harrowing experiences, and inhumane and demeaning rights violations at the hands of Sri Lanka military,"

"TAG is working on setting up such a system to provide material help and advocacy for asylum seekers, and the diaspora should shoulder the financial burden if such a support system is to be sustained to meet the needs of the refugee inflow,"

See here for full report on Tamilnet, including material on legal procedures and appeals processes.

In a Vesak message released Saturday, the president, Mahinda Rajapaksa said,

“We had great joy in seeing Sri Lankan Buddhists giving emphasis to the principles of Buddhism with the dawn of the Sri Sambuddhathva Jayanthi at the last Vesak festival."

"With the immense pleasure of contemplating on the Buddha, we recall the great religious awakening of devotion and wisdom that spread throughout Sri Lanka during this year, as we now see the end of the Sambuddha Jayanthi commemorations on this Vesak Day. It is our wish that this joy in the Buddha and his teachings would abide in the minds of all Sri Lankans."

"The teachings of the Buddha are the best way to lead a life that is free of confusion. These teachings show us the path to lead a life free of the four-fold evils and achieve success in this world and the next."

"We must be aware that all who are of wrongful mind and thinking cause many divisions and clashes that close the doors to our progress." As it is stated in the Dhammapada:

“Attana va katam papam – attana sankilissati
Attana akatam papam – attana va visujjhati
Suddhi asuddhi paccattam – nannno annam visodhaye”

“Evil done by oneself will defile one. Evil not done by oneself will purify one. Purity and impurity depend on oneself. No one can purify another.”

"Therefore, let us in this Vesak season pave the way to success in this world and the next, by eschewing all disputes and divisions and making a commitment to national unity and religious co-existence through seeing the true light of Buddhist teachings."

"May you receive the blessings of the Samma Sambuddha!"

Sri Lanka's president Mahinda Rajapaksa has commenced a programme for the  "propragation" of Buddhism to countries that do not currently practise it announced Sri Lanka's prime minister, D. M. Jayaratne  on Saturday.

Warning of the "uncertainty" caused by people pretending to be Buddhists, Jayaratne emphasised the "constitutional guarantee" the president had for the protection and foster of Buddhism.  

The comments were made at Jayaratne's Vesak message delivered on Saturday: 

“I seriously believe that in a country where the majority are Buddhists by birth we are passing through a period of uncertainty where we are confronted with the task of differentiating between the genuine Buddhists and pretenders.

“We, followers of a supreme sacred religion that preaches the Hethu Palaya (the cause and effect) and Karma Palaya (results of a deed) which help one to attain Nibbana, need not generate greed for anything mundane or spiritual. It was only a Buddhist who could act with tolerance and respect towards other religions demonstrating the noble qualities of equality and harmony. This was the essence of the great teachings of The Buddha. In a country where we find a leader who has realised this deep reality, as Buddhists the task ahead of us is manifold for the eternal existence of Buddhism.

“In keeping with the constitutional guarantee for protection and foster Buddhism the steps taken by the President for the uplift of the Buddha Sasana is praiseworthy.

“Encouraging parents to ordain children in the Sasana granting special allowance to temples where over seven Samanaras are resident, granting financial assistance to 773 viharas for development work, developing 2,600 Daham Pasals island-wide, granting of a donation of Rs. 100 million to the Asgiri Vihara on its completion of 700 years after establishment could be cited as a few examples among many programmes undertaken by this government for the protection of Buddha Sasana.

"According to the introduction of the United Nations Organization, Buddhism is a religion with a philosophy that fosters peace and harmony among mankind. Therefore the United Nations has declared Vesak Poya Day as an International Holiday."

"Apart from that I believe that this is the most appropriate moment to mention the extensive programme commenced by the President for the propagation of Buddhism in countries where Buddhism is not practiced. Besides, to be inwardly a Buddhist, to be a well disciplined monk with a thorough knowledge of the Dhamma and to lead a religious life are the noblest of all.

"May your lives be relieved of pain and suffering on this noble day of birth, enlightenment and Parinirwana of The Buddha”.