The Sri Lankan military announced that it had constructed new buildings for a Buddhist vihara in Batticaloa last week, as the armed forces continue their close involvement with Buddhism across the North-East.
The military announced that the construction of a new accommodation and office complex for monks at the Batticaloa Sri Mangalaramaya vihara was “fulfilling a long felt requirement to establish the Piriven Education in the Batticaloa district”.
“The entire new construction at Sri Mangalaramaya was completed under the guidance and close supervision of the Commander, 231 Brigade, Brigadier Senarath Niwunhella,” it added, stating that “devotees as well as others attending the opening ceremony heaped praise on the Sri Lanka Army’s excellent contribution to this invaluable spiritual effort”.
A ceremony was held to mark the occasion, with several Buddhist monks in attendance.
The latest Buddhist construction by the military comes despite objections from local Tamils and civil society organisations, who have opposed the construction of Buddhist sites in the North-East. The US State Department’s International Religious Freedom Report for 2016 said the continued construction of such sites in non-Buddhist areas, left the perception of “Buddhist Sinhalese religious and cultural imperialism”.
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