A video which purportedly shows a Sinhala Buddhist monk physically assaulting a Christian man in Batticaloa has been shared thousands of times on social media.
The monk, identified as Ampitiye Sumanarathana, is seen slapping the man whilst Sri Lankan police officers watch on. He then goes on to criticise the Sri Lankan police officer for failing to stop the Christian man from doing missionary work in the area.
In another video that also spread across social media platforms, the same monk is seen stopping a Catholic priest who is riding a motorbike and then proceeding to verbally abuse him.
In 2016, the same monk threatened to kill a Tamil government official in Batticaloa, call him a "Tamil dog”, whilst a Sri Lankan police officer stood by watching events unfold.
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.
