The construction of another Buddhist vihara in Trincomalee has continued to ramp up, as two Buddha statues were seen on the site this week.
The new building comes despite protests from locals in Iluppaikulam, Trincomalee, who have condemned the construction of a new Buddhist temple in an area predominantly inhabited by Tamil people.
Residents from the surrounding villages of Periyakulam, Aththimotai, Sambaltivu, and Salli have repeatedly protested the ongoing Sinhalization of the Tamil homeland. The 540 families that live in the area noted that the temple is being constructed in an area where no Sinhalese people live.
The protests staged previously were met with multiple court orders and the banning of Batticaloa MP Shanakiya Rasamanickam, TELO MP Govindan Karunakaran from participating in the protests.
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Sri Lankan police forcibly remove Tamils protesting Buddhist temple construction in Trincomalee
Protest in Trincomalee against construction of new Buddhist Temple
Photographs: Courtesy of @JeraThampi on Twitter.
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