Sinhala Buddhist monks are reportedly constructing a Buddhist temple at Trincomalee beach without seeking permission from the relevant authorities.
The group of monks started the construction yesterday morning on the beachfront which is usually used by local residents and tourists.
According to Ilankai Tamil Arasu Katchi (ITAK) MP Shanakiyan Rasamanickam, a police complaint was filed by coast conservation officials. Videos posted by the ITAK MP reportedly show a Sri Lankan police officer attempting to stop the monks from their construction but they were unsuccessful.
"The NPP's promise that no one is above the law clearly doesn't seem to apply when Buddhist monks are involved," Rasamanickam stated on X.
Last night, a Buddha statue was removed by Sri Lankan police only to be returned to the site this morning. Ananda Wijepala, the Minister for Public Security told parliament that the statue was returned to prevent vandalism and the site will now have police protection even though the construction began without any prior approval.
This is the latest act in a wider pattern of state enabled encroachment of the Tamil homeland.
For decades, Sinhala Buddhist monks have influenced the agendas of successive Sri Lankan governments. Since the end of the armed conflict, Sri Lanka has used state bodies such as the archaeological and forestry departments to uncover new areas with Buddhist history and legitimise state sponsored Sinhalisation.