A tense situation arose in Amparai on Saturday when police ordered Buddhist monks to stop construction work near a Buddhist vihara in Manikkamadu.
The monks have been attempting to build a rest house on what they claim is land belonging to the vihara and Buddhist archaeological site on Mayakalli hill, but were told to stop by police when the Muslim and Tamil landowners obtained a court order against the construction.
Eastern Provincial Council ministers went to the location to ensure the construction was halted, with police allegedly having to diffuse a tense situation between locals and monks.