Description

On 28th August, Buddhist monks forcefully entered the District Secretariat in Batticaloa District
and disrupted the district coordination committee meeting, demanding approval to build a new
temple in a village in Periyakulam area in Trincomalee district. The construction work of the
temple has been previously suspended by an order of the governor, as proper permissions
have not been taken. Construction of temples in former war affected Northern and Eastern
provinces where predominantly non-Buddhist live, is a sensitive concern due to long standing
ethnic tensions between minority Tamils and majority Sinhala Buddhists. The video footage
shows a protest held by Buddhist monks in front of the District secretariat office and later a
few Buddhist monks entering the District Secretariat office premises, while one monk
threatened to strangle the governor’s neck, and not to allow him to leave the office premises
without granting them the approval. After that, they entered the auditorium where the district
coordination committee meeting was being held, and started to protest demanding urgent
permission for temple construction. Even though many Police personnel and few military
personnel were present at the venue, the Buddhist monks seemingly enjoyed a relative
immunity due to their religious positions, even though a civilian would be easily arrested for
such a conduct as per the usual practice.