A Sinhala Buddhist monk has alleged that a senior official of Sri Lanka's Department of Archaeology planted objects to suggest Buddhist links in Kurunthurmalai, where a native Tamil temple and adjacent lands have been subject to intense landgrab efforts.
The Northeastern Monitor reported that Walahahengunawewe Dhammaratana, a monk attached to the Mihintale Raja Maha vihara (Buddhist temple), has lodged a complaint with the Criminal Investigation Department (CID), accusing that an official Mr. Jayathilaka transported archaeological 'artefacts' in bags and placed them around the farmlands in Kurunthurmalai.
The monk submitted a written complaint to the CID on July 21, requesting action against the officer. He also shared a copy of the complaint with Ilankai Tamil Arasu Katchi (ITAK) parliamentarian Shanakiyan Rasamanickam.
Last month, the department installed display boards falsely linking the Tamil heritage site of Kurunthurmalai to Buddhist history.
Vanni parliamentarian Thurairasa Ravikaran said the department had recently erected four display boards at the base, summit, and surrounding areas of the site, branding it the “Kurundi Archaeological Site” and linking it to stories from the Mahavamsa, the Sinhala–Buddhist chronicle often used to legitimise colonisation of Tamil regions.
The department and the military have also aided Sinhala Buddhist monks in constructing an illegal Buddhist temple at the site, despite opposition from local Tamils.
