The Center for Peace and Reconciliation based in Kilinochchi has issued an appeal to the Sinhalese public to refrain from visiting illegally constructed viharas - Buddhist temples - in the North-East, as their construction in the Tamil homeland continues.
In response to ongoing land encroachments in the North-East, the Director of the Center for Peace and Reconciliation, Rev. Fr. S. Y. Jeevaratnam, issued a statement of condemnation.
"Nearly sixteen years have passed since the end of the conflict, and yet, at a time when national unity and reconciliation between ethnic and religious communities ought to be fostered, what we continue to witness instead are acts of suppression, denial of rights, and arbitrary, irresponsible displays of political power directed against minority communities,” said the statement. “This is deeply distressing.”
The Centre highlighted that Buddhist viharas are being constructed on private lands without the consent of landowners.
See the full text of the statement in Tamil below.
