A massive Buddhist stupa built by the Sri Lankan military was opened to serve the growing Sinhala settlements in the Navatkuli area.
The construction of the shrine has been fiercely opposed by locals and was even subject to legal action, which was withdrawn due to political pressure.
Despite neglecting to secure the appropriate permission at the initial stages, Buddhist monks and the military went ahead with its construction, ignoring all suspension orders and opposition.
The stupa’s opening was attended by senior military officials, as well as hundreds of Sinhalese people from different districts.
We need your support
Sri Lanka is one of the most dangerous places in the world to be a journalist. Tamil journalists are particularly at threat, with at least 41 media workers known to have been killed by the Sri Lankan state or its paramilitaries during and after the armed conflict.
Despite the risks, our team on the ground remain committed to providing detailed and accurate reporting of developments in the Tamil homeland, across the island and around the world, as well as providing expert analysis and insight from the Tamil point of view
We need your support in keeping our journalism going. Support our work today.
For more ways to donate visit https://donate.tamilguardian.com.
