A protest was held in Vavuniya yesterday to condemn the release of a Sinhala Buddhist monk who has been accused of sexually abusing a minor girl over several years.
Last week, the Anuradhapura Chief Magistrate’s Court ordered the release of Pallegama Hemarathana Thera, the chief prelate of Anuradhapura’s eight sacred Buddhist sites, on two personal sureties of Rs. 5 million each and a cash bail of Rs. 100,000. The court also imposed a foreign travel ban and warned that the bail order would be revoked if witnesses were influenced or bail conditions violated.
The demonstration, organised by the Vavuniya People's Organisation, featured placards carrying messages related to the monk and slogans denouncing the Buddhist cleric.
One placard read "don’t use religion to hide crimes” alongside messages raising concerns that the establishment of a separate court could be an attempt to evade justice.
The Sri Lankan president Anura Kumara Dissanayake recently stated that the government would introduce legislation to establish separate courts for Buddhist monks.
Former Vanni Member of Parliament Sivashakthy Ananthan, former Provincial Council Member Senthilnathan Mayooran, as well as several young men and women, participated in the protest.
