Tamil protesters were met with an overwhelming Sri Lankan police presence as they demonstrated against the illegal construction of a Buddhist temple on privately owned Tamil land in Thaiyiddy, Jaffna, today.
The landowners and students from the University of Jaffna gathered outside the Tissa Vihara amidst reports that a Buddha statue was to be consecrated today at the illegally built temple.
A group led by a Sinhala Buddhist monk, who had travelled from Sigiriya to transport a Buddha statue, was stopped by the Kankesanthurai police and taken to the police station for questioning. After recording their statements, the police instructed them to not visit the Buddhist temple in Thaiyiddy and to return home.
Speaking to the press earlier this week, Jinthottai Nandharama Thera, the chief monk at the Tissa Vihara stated that no special ceremonies would be permitted today until the land dispute is resolved. He went on to claim that the Sri Lankan government had created a new committee to investigate the land dispute and that all of the relevant documents related to the Buddhist temple had been submitted alongside documentation from the Tamil landowners.
He stated that if the construction of the Buddhist temple is found to be illegal, then he would accept that ruling. Nandharama added that whilst the dispute is investigated, no further construction will take place.
The land where the Buddhist temple now stands was originally home to Tamil families who were forcibly displaced by the war in 1990. Following their departure, the Sri Lankan military occupied the area and declared it a high-security zone (HSZ). Despite the war ending in 2009, the military continued to restrict access to the area, preventing rightful landowners from returning.
Tamils in Thaiyiddy have been protesting every full moon day for over a year against the illegal construction of the Buddhist temple and to demand the return of the land to its owners.
Last month, five Tamils including prominent civil society leader Velan Swamigal and Valikamam East Divisional Council Chairman Thiyagaraja Nirosh were arrested during one of these protests. The individuals were attacked and violently handled by Sri Lankan police officers as they were pushed into the police car. They were later released on bail and will appear at court on January 26, 2026.
The Tissa Vihara case forms part of a broader pattern of Sinhalisation of the Tamil homeland. The Sri Lankan government, aided by its military and archaeology department, continue to alter the demography of the Tamil homeland by seizing Tamil and Muslim lands and places of worship.
