illegally constructed Tissa Vihara by Sri Lankan military for military in Thaijiddy, KKS, Jaffna should be removed and private lands must be handed over to the owners. 7/4/2024 pic.twitter.com/0KE4mwVXSA

— Selvarajah Kajendren MP (@skajendren) April 7, 2024

Tamil National People's Front (TNPF) MP Selvarajah Kajendren has called for the removal of a Buddhist temple, the Tissa Raja Vihara in Thaiyiddy, Jaffna, which was illegally constructed on privately owned land and is being occupied by Sri Lanka's military. 

Speaking outside the vihara, Kajendren said: 

"This is the Tissa Buddhist Temple that has been illegally built on forcibly appropriated private land. Sri Lanka's army supported this invasion of 120 acres of local residents' land and the building was constructed on it without permission.

Despite owners calling for many years for the return of their property, the land has not been returned. As a result a protest has been ongoing opposite this illegal Buddhist temple for a year. The protesters have been calling for the demolition of this illegal structure and for the land they own to be returned.

Yet there has been no movement to address their demands. If this situation persists, there will be compulsion to widen this protest throughout the [Jaffna] peninsula. Therefore the relevant parties should immediately take steps to demolish this illegal structure and for the land to be returned to its owners

This is the illegally built Buddhist temple. It was built for the Sri Lanka army. This has been illegally constructed on private individuals' lands without their permission, by the invaders."

Since May 2023, Tamils have been protesting every Poya (full moon) day, to demand the removal of the illegal structure. Despite the protests, the vihara remains on the occupied land. 

Last year, Kajendren was amongst ten Tamils who were arrested whilst protesting outside the vihara. Palaly police forcibly removed Kajendren from the site and arrested him alongside nine other TNPF members and claimed that the protesters had gathered unlawfully infront of the temple and causing a disturbance.

For decades, Sri Lanka have been trying to colonise and alter the demography of the Tamil homeland. However, after the armed conflict ended in May 2009, these efforts have intensified. 

Successive Sri Lankan governments have used militarisation, land acquistion and Buddhisisation to destroy the Tamil homeland and build a unitary Sinhala Buddhist state.