• Sects’ Chief Prelates instruct Sects’ secys. to prepare clear plan to resolve same 
• Per CA, Coast Conservation Dept. and Trinco’s Sri Sambuddha Jayanthi Bodhiraja Viharaya agree to inspect site and provide findings before deciding on demolition

The Amarapura Buddhist Sect stated that the newly established Buddha Sasana Council – which brings together the secretaries of all chapters of the Buddhist sects – will compile a detailed report on land related disputes involving Buddhist temples across the country.

Speaking to The Daily Morning, Secretary of the Sect, Ven. Balapitiye Siri Seevali Thera said that the secretaries of the three main Buddhist sects – Siam, Ramanna, and Amarapura – have been instructed by the relevant Chief Prelates (Mahanayakas) to prepare a clear plan on resolving land issues faced by Buddhist temples.

He further said that these matters would also be presented before the said Council, which was established under the current Government. “The Council is represented by the secretaries of all the 31 chapters of the Buddhist sects. We are planning to compile a full report on the problems faced by temples and to submit it to the authorities.”

The developments come amid growing criticism from the Buddhist clergy over the removal of a Buddha statue from the Sri Sambuddha Jayanthi Bodhiraja Viharaya in Trincomalee on 16 November of this year. The statue had been placed at the premises of the Viharaya – a temple registered since 1951 – following a foundation-laying ceremony earlier that day to restart the Dhamma School destroyed in the 2004 tsunami. 

Police later informed the Chief Incumbent that the Coast Conservation Department had complained of an unauthorised construction. That night, Police officers removed the statue, resulting in protests from monks and residents. Two monks were later hospitalised, claiming that they were injured during the incident. The Public Security Minister Ananda Wijepala, addressing the Parliament, said that the removal was a precaution based on information that the statue could be damaged. The statue, which remained under Police protection, was later returned to the clergy and the villagers.

Meanwhile, the Court of Appeal (CA) yesterday (19) scheduled a hearing on 16 December to consider a petition seeking an injunction to prevent the implementation of an order issued by the Coastal Conservation Department to remove a part of the said Viharaya. The petition was filed by the Chief Incumbent of the Temple, Ven. Trincomalee Kalyanawamsathissa/Kalyanawansathissa Thera. During the proceedings, the Judge noted that it would be appropriate to resolve the matter amicably. Accordingly, both parties – including officials from the Department and their legal representatives – agreed in court that the Department would inspect the site and provide findings, based on which an appropriate decision could be made. The Justice ordered that the progress of the inspection be reported on 16 December when the petition is next heard. Until these procedures are completed, the CA instructed both parties to take measures to maintain peace in the area.

Moreover, the Buddhasasana, Religious, and Cultural Affairs Ministry stated recently that it was working on long-term solutions concerning religious sites built on lands once owned by residents in the Northern and Eastern Provinces. The Deputy Minister Gamagedara Dissanayake told The Daily Morning on an earlier occasion the Government should now prioritise returning such lands to their original owners, adding the Government intended to pursue case-specific approaches.